8. 8
E. ELEMENTARY APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL
EQUATIONS
Problem 1: Consider a tank used in certain hydrodynamic experiments. After one
experiment the tank contains 200 liters of a dye solution with a concentration of 1 g/liter.
To prepare for the next experiment, the tank is to be rinsed with fresh water flowing in at
a rate of 2liters/min, the well-stirred solution flowing out at the same rate. Find the time
that will elapse before the concentration of dye in the tank reaches 1% of its original value.
Solution: Analytical
𝑑𝐿
𝑑𝑡
= −𝑘𝐿
𝑑𝐿
𝑑𝑡
= 𝑘𝐿
∫
𝑑𝐿
𝐿
= −𝑘 ∫ 𝑑𝑡 2 = 𝑘(200)
ln
(𝐿) = −𝑘𝑡 + 𝑐 𝑘 =
2
200
𝐿 = 𝑒−𝑘𝑡+𝑐
𝒌 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏
𝐿 = 𝐶𝑒−𝑘𝑡
𝑡 = 0, 𝑡 =? , 𝐿 = 2, 𝑘 = 0.01
𝐿 = 𝐶𝑒−𝑘𝑡
𝐿 = 𝐶𝑒−𝑘𝑡
200 = 𝐶𝑒0
2 = 200𝑒−0.01𝑡
𝑪 = 𝟐𝟎𝟎 ln(0.01) = −0.01𝑡
𝑡 = −
ln
(0.01)
0.01
𝑡 = 460.52𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠
Solution: MATLAB
Problem 2: A thermometer is moved from room where the temperature is 70 F to a freezer
where the temperature is 12 F .After 30 seconds the thermometer reads 40 F. What does
it read after 2 minutes?