Question 2

A. Predict the height of the heart exactly 30 seconds into the ride. Use your equation from Question 1. Show your work.
B. Predict the height of the heart exactly 5 minutes into the ride. Use your equation from Question 1. Show your work.
Question 1
Cheryl’s cousin is about to embark on a 50-mile bike ride. Cheryl draws a little heart
on the front wheel of her cousin’s bike for good luck.
When Cheryl’s cousin starts riding, the heart goes up before coming back down and
hitting the pavement. The diameter of the wheel is [choose a number between 20 –
27.5] inches. Cheryl’s cousin rides at a steady pace and the wheel makes a
frequency of [choose a number between 60 – 80] revolutions per minute. Find the
equation that models the height of the heart in inches as a function of time (x) in minutes.

1 answer

To create a model for the height of the heart over time, we first need to define some variables and use the information given.

Let's choose:

  • Diameter of the wheel = 26 inches
  • Frequency of the wheel = 70 revolutions per minute

Step A: Determine the parameters for the equation

  1. Radius of the Wheel: \[ r = \frac{\text{diameter}}{2} = \frac{26}{2} = 13 \text{ inches} \]

  2. Circumference of the Wheel: The height of the heart follows a sinusoidal pattern. The vertical movement can be modeled as a cosine function: \[ \text{Circumference} = 2 \pi r = 2 \pi \times 13 \approx 81.68 \text{ inches} \]

  3. Height Function: The height of the heart (h) above the ground as a function of time (x) in minutes can be modeled as: \[ h(x) = r \cdot \cos(2 \pi f x) + r \] where \( f \) is the frequency in revolutions per minute, and the cosine function is adjusted to start at the maximum height. Substituting in our values: \[ h(x) = 13 \cos(2 \pi \cdot 70 x) + 13 \]

Step B: Evaluate h at 30 seconds and 5 minutes

Note: We need to convert time into minutes since our function is defined in minutes.

  1. 30 seconds into minutes: \[ 30 \text{ seconds} = \frac{30}{60} = 0.5 \text{ minutes} \] Now, calculate \( h(0.5) \): \[ h(0.5) = 13 \cos(2 \pi \cdot 70 \cdot 0.5) + 13 \] \[ h(0.5) = 13 \cos(70 \pi) + 13 \] Since \( \cos(70 \pi) = -1 \): \[ h(0.5) = 13 \cdot (-1) + 13 = -13 + 13 = 0 \text{ inches} \]

  2. 5 minutes into the ride: \[ h(5) = 13 \cos(2 \pi \cdot 70 \cdot 5) + 13 \] \[ h(5) = 13 \cos(700 \pi) + 13 \] Since \( \cos(700 \pi) = 1 \): \[ h(5) = 13 \cdot 1 + 13 = 13 + 13 = 26 \text{ inches} \]

Final Answers:

A. The height of the heart exactly 30 seconds into the ride is 0 inches.

B. The height of the heart exactly 5 minutes into the ride is 26 inches.