Thanks!
How do I solve the differential equation dx/dt + 10*x/(20000-5*t) = 5?
I know where this comes from. It's from one of those spesh questions with the outflow rate greater than that of the inflow rate.
So, note that this equation is of the form dx/dt + x*f(t) = constant
The left hand side, if multiplied by g(t), could be written as the derivative of x*g(t) if one restriction is met.
If d(x*g(t))/dt = g(t)*dx/dt + x*g'(t) = g(t)*dx/dt + x*f(t)*g(t), we can see that g'(t) = f(t)*g(t)
Here, f(t) = 10/(20000-5t)
So dg/dt = 10g/(20000-5t)
1/10g * dg/dt = 1/(20000-5t)
1/10 ln g = -1/5 ln(20000-5t) we don't need an integration constant as we just need a SINGLE function g(t) that ln g = -2 ln(20000-5t) satisfies the above DE
g=(20000-5t)^-2
So we can rewrite our equation as dx/dt + x*f(t) = c
g(t) dx/dt + x*f(t)*g(t) = c*g(t)
Using the fact that d(x*g(t))/dt = the left hand side by definition
d(x*g(t))/dt = c*g(t)
Integrating both sides with respect to t
x*g(t) = integral of c*g(t) dt c=5 remember from the RHS of the question?
=integral of 5*(20000-5t)^-2=(20000-5t)^-1 + constant
g=(20000-5t)^-2 from above
so x=(20000-5t)+constant*(20000-5t)^2
I don't have the initial conditions so I can't find the constant. But yeah; this is how I would solve it. The aim is to rewrite the left hand side as a derivative of a product as we have a dx/dt + x*f(t) term on the right. My calculator is happy with my answer.