An aerodynamic profile for a glider wing is designed to be symmetric about the chord line (the xxx-axis). The upper boundary of the wing's cross-section is modelled by the parametric equations:
x=−1.5t2 x = -1.5t^2 x=−1.5t2 y=15t−0.75t2 y = 15t - 0.75t^2 y=15t−0.75t2for 0≤t≤200 \le t \le 200≤t≤20, where xxx and yyy are measured in millimetres.
Determine the total length of the glider wing along the xxx-axis.
Obtain an expression for dydx\frac{dy}{dx}dxdy in terms of ttt.
Hence, prove that the maximum thickness (total width) of the wing is exactly one-quarter of its total length.
717 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Maths Differentiation, covering 9.1 Differentiating sin x and cos x, 9.2 Differentiating exponentials and logarithms, 9.3 The Chain Rule, 9.4 The Product Rule, 9.5 The Quotient Rule, 9.6 Differentiating Trigonometric Functions, 9.7 Parametric Differentiation, 9.8 Implicit Differentiation, 9.9 Using Second Derivatives, and 9.10 Rates of Change. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.