TransportationCosts(orTrucker'sDilemma)

Math1050CollegeAlgebraProject
Atruckdriving260milesoveraflatinterstateataconstantrateof50milesperhourgets7miles
tothegallon.Fuelcosts$3.50pergallon.Foreachmileperhourincreaseinspeed,thetruck
losesatenthofamilepergalloninitsmileage.Driversget$27.50perhourinwagesandfixed
costsforrunningthetruckamountto$11.33perhour.Whatconstantspeed(between50mph
andthespeedlimitof65mph)shouldthetruckdrivetominimizethetotalcostofthetrip?
PartI:Tosolveaproblemlikethis,itisagoodideatostartwithcalculatinganactualexample.Wewill
beginbyfindingthetotalcostifthetruckisdrivenat50milesperhour.Thecostismadeupoftwo
components:thegascostandthetimecost.Besuretoincludethecorrectunitswitheachvaluebelow.
A.Let'sstartoutbyfindinghowlongthetripwilltake.
260miles/50mph=5.2hours
Thelengthoftimerequiredforthetripis5hours12mins.
(Donotround.)
B.Now,withthistimeknown,howmuchwillitcosttopaythedriverandrunthetruck?
5.2($27.50+$11.33)
$143+$58.916=$201.92
Theamountneededtopaythedriverandrunthetruckis$201.92.
(Roundtonearestcent.)
C.Nextdetermine,at7milesperhourfor260miles,howmuchgaswillberequired.
260m/7mph=371/7gallonsofgas
Theamountofgasrequiredis371/7gallons.
(Donotround.Leaveasproperfraction.)
D.Withtheamountofgasknown,howmuchwillthegascosttomakethe260miles?
$3.50(371/7)=$130
or(7/2)(260/7)=260/2=$130
Thecostofthegasis$130.
(Roundtonearestcent.)
E.FinallywecanfindtheTOTALcost.
$201.92+$130=$331.92
Thetotalcostforthetripis$331.92.
(Roundtonearestcent.)

PartII:Theprecedingprocessshouldhaveilluminatedthebasicprocedurewewillusetofindthetotal
costofatrip.Nextwewillfindthetotalcostifthetruckisdrivenat65milesperhour.AsinPartI,
includethecorrectunitswitheachvalue.
A.Let'sfindhowlongthetripwilltake.
260m/65mph=4hours
Thelengthoftimerequiredforthetripis4hours.
(Donotround.)
B.Now,withthistimeknown,howmuchwillitcosttopaythedriverandrunthetruck?
4($27.50+$11.33)
$110+$45.32=$155.32
Theamountneededtopaythedriverandrunthetruckis$155.32.
(Roundtonearestcent.)
C.Next,tobegindeterminingthegascost,weneedtofindthemileage(milespergallonofgas)
whenthetruckistravellingat65milesperhour.
65mph50mph=15mph(thedifferencewhichaffectsthemileage)
15mph(1/10mpg)=15/10=1.5mpg(lostbyincreasing15mph)
7mpg(mileageat50mph)1.5mpg=5.5mpg
Themileageat65milesperhouris5.5mpg.
(Donotround.)
D.Withthegasmileageknown,howmuchgaswillbeneededforthe260miles?
260miles/5.5mpg=260/11/2=260(2/11)=520/11=473/11

Theamountofgasrequiredis473/11gallons.
(Donotround.Leaveasproperfraction.)
E.Withtheamountofgasknown,howmuchwillthegascosttomakethe260miles?
$3.50(520/11)=$165.45
Thecostofthegasis$165.45.
(Roundtonearestcent.)
F.FinallywecanfindtheTOTALcost.
$155.32+$165.45=$320.77
Thetotalcostforthetripis$320.77.
(Roundtonearestcent.)

PartIII.Weshouldnowhaveagoodprocessfordeterminingthetotalcostofatripforanyrateofspeed
greaterthanorequalto50milesperhour.NextistocreateaTotalCostfunctionusingXastheunknown
rateinmilesperhour.Simplifyyouranswersandremembertoincludeunits.Asyouworkthrougheach
step,testyouranswersbypluggingin50mphandthen65mphandcomparingwithresultsfrom
partsIandII.
A.Let'sfindhowlongthetripwilltake.
T(x)=260/x
Thelengthoftimerequiredforthetripis260/x.
B.Nowwiththistimeknown,howmuchwillitcosttopaythedriverandrunthetruck?
P(x)=260/x($27.50+$11.33)
$7150/x+$2945.8/x
$10095.8/x
Theamountofmoneyneededtopaythedriveris$10095.80/x.
C.Next,tobegindeterminingthegascost,weneedtofindthemileage(milespergallonofgas)
whenthetruckistravellingatXmilesperhour.
Loss(x)=1/10(x50)
Mileage(x)=7L(x)
71/10(x50)
ThemileageatXmilesperhouris71/10(x50).
D.Withthegasmileageknown,howmuchgaswillbeneededforthe260miles?
G(x)=260/m(x)
260/[71/10(x50)]
Theamountofgasrequiredis260/[71/10(x50)].
E.Withtheamountofgasknown,howmuchwillthegascosttomakethe260miles?
R(x)=$3.50(G(x))
$3.50(260/[71/10(x50)])
$910/[71/10(x50)]
Thecostofthegasis$910/[71/10(x50)].
F.NowwecanfindtheTOTALcostfunction.ExpressyourfunctionasC(X)=
C(x)=($10095.80/x)+($910/[71/10(x50)])
TOTALTripCostFunctionisC(x)=($10095.80/x)+($910/[71/10(x50)])

G.Thelastthingweshoulddoisverifythatthisisthecorrectfunctionbyevaluatingitat50mph
and65mphtoseeifwegetthesamevalueswehavepreviouslycomputed.

F(50)=($10095.80/50)+($910/[71/10(5050)])
$201.92+$130=$331.92

F(65)=($10095.80/65)+($910/[71/10(6550)])
$155.32+$165.45=$320.77

PartIV.Assumingthefunctionismodelingcorrectly,youneedtocalculatetheminimumcost.Graphthe
CostFunctionandfinditsminimumpoint.Sketchyourgraphhere:Havethelowerleftpointrepresent
(50,315).Youmayuseagraphingutilitytohelpyoufindtheminimumpoint.

TheminimumCOSTforthetripis$319.71.
TheMPHthatminimizesCOSTis61.56mph.

ReflectiveWriting:Howdidthisprojectchangethewayyouthinkaboutrealworldmathapplications?
Writeatleastoneparagraphstatingwhatideaschangedandwhy.Next,discusshowthemathskillsthat
youappliedinthisprojectwillimpactotherclassesyouwilltakeinyourschoolcareer?Pointtospecific
partsoftheprojectandyourownprocessincompletingitthatmighthaveapplicationsforotherclasses.
Thisprojecthelpedmeseethevalueofbasicalgebrainarealworldsituation.Itseasyto
thinkthatmathisfartooabstracttobeusedoutsideofaconceptualsettinganditsequallyeasy
tothinkmathisonlyapplicableinarealworldsettingwhenusingupperlevelcalculus.This
projectillustratedthatwecanapplyalgebraicprinciplesineverydaycalculationsweare
confrontedwith.Andthemorereadilyweseetheseprinciples,brokendownintostepsaswedid
here,themorecapablewecanbeatgaugingthemostprofitableoutcomeinagivensituation.
Thisstepbystepprocesshelpedmeconfrontthetotalityofthisproject,whichI
assumedwouldbeverychallengingandrequiremetogetlotsofhelpalongtheway.AsIworked
throughthefirsttwoparts,whichgaugesthedifferencebetweentravelingat50mphor65mph,I
wasabletoseeafunctionformfromthedifferencestheyshowed.Thethirdpartrequiredthe
mostalgebraicapplication,whichreallyjustrequiredreplacingthegivenmphintoavariablex
andmakingthepreviouscalculationsresemblefunctions.Thisconnectionoftheabstracttothe
realworldapplicationcausedmetooverthink.ItwastheonlypartIwassounsureinthatIasked
forvariousconsultations.Itturnsout,Iwasjustmakingthingstoocomplicatedandcreatingtoo
muchabstractionsoutofsomethingthatwasstraightforwardandrequiredonlyasimple
conversionfromitsoriginalstate.
IrecognizethatIoftenovercomplicatetheapplicationaspectsofgoalsandprojects.The
simplicityoftheconversionsIendedupwithshowedjusthowabstractIthoughttheideas
neededtobebuthowsimpletheyactuallyweretoapply.Iwillusethisillustrationasawayfor
metolearntosimplifymoreandstopoverwhelmingmyselfinunnecessarydetails.
Accomplishingthewholethroughthesumofitsparts,takingeachpartonestepatatime,
reflectingonthepreviouslyaccomplishedforperspective,issomethingIneedtoapplytoallmy
classes.