AQA C1 2009 January — Question 5

Exam BoardAQA
ModuleC1 (Core Mathematics 1)
Year2009
SessionJanuary
TopicDifferentiation Applications
TypeVelocity and acceleration problems

5 A model car moves so that its distance, \(x\) centimetres, from a fixed point \(O\) after time \(t\) seconds is given by $$x = \frac { 1 } { 2 } t ^ { 4 } - 20 t ^ { 2 } + 66 t , \quad 0 \leqslant t \leqslant 4$$
  1. Find:
    1. \(\frac { \mathrm { d } x } { \mathrm {~d} t }\);
    2. \(\frac { \mathrm { d } ^ { 2 } x } { \mathrm {~d} t ^ { 2 } }\).
  2. Verify that \(x\) has a stationary value when \(t = 3\), and determine whether this stationary value is a maximum value or a minimum value.
  3. Find the rate of change of \(x\) with respect to \(t\) when \(t = 1\).
  4. Determine whether the distance of the car from \(O\) is increasing or decreasing at the instant when \(t = 2\).