Example 1:

A cylindrical container had 500 cm3 of water and is

being filled at the constant rate of 100 cm3 per second.
The radius of the container is 50 cm.

a) Write a formula for the quantity Q of water in the

container after t seconds.

b) Write a formula for the height H of water in the

container in terms of Q.

c) Find an expression for the composition (H

o Q)(t) and its meaning.

b) How long does it take the height H of the water in the

container to reach 50cm?

Solution to Example 1

a) Q = 500 + 100 t

b) Q = π r2 × H which gives H = Q / (π r2)

c) (H o Q)(t) = H(Q(t)) = (500 + 100 t) / (π r2)

This gives the height H(t) of water as a function of time

t.
d) H(t) = (500 + 100 t) / (π r2) = 50

Solve for t: t = [ 50 × (π r2) - 500 ] / 100 = 3922 seconds

≈ 1 hour.

Example 2:

A small stone is thrown into still water and create a

circular wave. The radius r of the water wave increases
at the rate of 2 cm per second.

a) Find an expression for the radius r in terms of time t

(in seconds) after the stone was thrown.

b) If A is the area of the water wave, what is the

meaning of the composition (A

o r)(t)?

c) Find the area A of the water wave after 60 seconds.

Solution to Example 2

a) r = 2 × t = 2t

b) (A o r)(t) = A(r(t)) is the area as a function of time

c) A = π r2

Hence: (A o r)(t) = A(r(t)) = π (2t) 2 = 4πt2

When t = 60 seconds, A(60) = 4π602 = 45289 cm2

Example 3:

Starting from 50 meters, the radius r of a circular oil

spill increases at the rate of 0.5 meters/second.
a) Express the radius r as a function of time.
b) The area A of a circular shape is given by A = π r2.
Find the composite function (A o r)(t) and explain its
meaning.
c) How long will it take the area to be larger 10,000 m2?
Solution to Example 3

a) r = 50 + 0.5t

b) (A o r)(t) = A(r(t)) = π r2(t) = π (50 + 0.5t)2

It is the area of the oil spill as a function of time

c) π (50 + 0.5t) > 10,000

Solve the above inequality to obtain

t > 79 seconds

After approximately 79 seconds, the area of the oil spill

will be larger than 10,000 m2.
Example 4:

A metallic rod is being heated in a oven where the

temperature T varies with the time t as follows: T = 0.2 t
+ 100 (T in degree Celsius and t in seconds). The
length L of the rod varies with temperature and
therefore with time according to the formula: L = 100 +
10-4t (L in cm). Find L as a function of the temperature T.
Solution to Example 4

a) The length of the rod changes with the temperature

according to the composition of functions:

L(t) = (L o T)(t) = 100 + 10-4t

Since T = 0.2 t + 100, we can write t = (T - 100) / 0.2

We now substitute t by (T - 100) / 0.2 in L(t) to obtain

L = 100 + 10-4 (T - 100) / 0.2)

L = 100 + 5×10-4(T - 100)

(calculus is needed)

Air escapes from a balloon at the constant rate of 100

cm3 per second. What is the rate of change of the
radius of the balloon (supposed to be a sphere) when r
= 10 cm?
Solution to Example 5
The volume V of the balloon (supposed to be a sphere)
of radius r is given by: V = (4/3) π r3

V and r are related by the composition of functions

V(t) = (V o t)(t) = V(r(t))

Using the chain rule:

dV/dt = dV/dr× dr/dt

where dV/dt is the rate of change (with time) of the

volume and dr/dt is the rate of change (with time) of the
radius.

calculate derivative: dV/dr = 4 π r2

Substitute dV/dt and dV/dr into dV/dt = dV/dr× dr/dt to

obtain

100 = 4 π r2 dr/dt

The rate of change (with time) of the radius, when r =

10 cm, is given by dr/dt = 2 / 4 π r2 = 100 / 4 π 102 ≈
0.08 cm/second
Composite functions are useful when one quantity depends
on a second quantity, and in turn that second quantity
depends on a third quantity. This is an extremely general
situation with lots of real-world applications.

For example, the cost of getting new life insurance depends

on how old you are, and how old you are depends on what
year it is.

So your age is a function of what year it is: If we call your

age A and the year t, then A is a function of t.

The cost of life insurance is a function of your age (we'll

disregard the other factors in the cost of insurance for now):
If we call the cost C and your age A, then C is a function of
A.

Since C is a function of A and A is a function of t, then we

can view the cost of life insurance for you as depending on
what year it is; that is, we can form the composite function
C(A(t)). (We'd discover that in higher-numbered years, your
life insurance would cost more.)

As another example: The amount of time it takes to get to

work depends on how much traffic there is, and the amount
of traffic there is depends on what time of day it is.

If we call the amount of traffic C and the time of day t, then C

is a function of t.
If we call the time it takes to get to work W, then W is a
function of C.

Then we can view the amount of time it takes to get to work

as depending on the time of day; that is, we can form the
composite function W(C(t)). (We'd discover that during rush
hour, it takes longer to get to work.)

There are many other examples. (Perhaps you can invent

some more for yourself.)