3.

7 OPTIMIZATION

Example 1

You have 40 linear feet of fencing with which to enclose a rectangular space for a garden. Find the
largest area than can be enclosed with this much fencing and the dimensions of the corresponding
garden.

Example 2

A square sheet of cardboard 18 cm on a side is made into an open box (without the top) by cutting
squares of equal size out of each corner and folding up the sides along the dotted lines. Find the
dimensions of the box with the maximum volume.
Example 3

Find the point on the parabola 𝑦 = 9 − 𝑥 2 closest to the point (3, 9).

Example 4

A soda can is to hold 21.65628 in3fluid. Find the dimensions that will minimize the amount of
material used in its construction, assuming that the thickness of the material is uniform.
Example 5

Figure below shows an offshore oil well located at a point W that is 5 km from the closest point a on
a straight shoreline. Oil is to be piped from W to a shore point B that is 8 km from A by piping it on a
straight line under water from W to some shore point P between A and B and then on to B via pipe
along the shoreline. If the cost of laying pipe is RM 1 mil/km under water and RM 0.5 mil/km over
the land, where should the point P be located to minimize the cost of laying the pipe?

Example 6

Find the radius and height of the right circular cylindrical of largest volume that can be inscribed in a
right circular cone with radius 6 inches and height 10 inches .
Example 7

A field in the shape of an isosceles triangle is to be bounded by a fence on the two equal sides of the
triangle, and by a straight stream on the third side. Find the dimensions of the field of largest area
that can be enclosed by 300 yards of fence.

Example 8

You are standing at the edge of a slow-moving river which is one mile wide and wish to return to
your campground on the opposite side of the river. You can swim at 2 mph and walk at 3 mph. You
must first swim across the river to any point on the opposite bank. From there walk to the
campground, which is one mile from the point directly across the river from where you start your
swim. What route will take the least amount of time ?
Example 9

Construct a window in the shape of a semi-circle over a rectangle. If the distance around the outside
of the window is 12 feet, what dimensions will result in the rectangle having largest possible area ?

Example 10

Find the dimensions of the rectangle of largest area which can be inscribed in the closed region
bounded by the x-axis, y-axis, and graph of y=8-x3 . (See diagram.)
Example 11

A straight piece of wire 8 m long is bent into the shape of L. What is the shortest possible distance
between the ends?

Example 12

Suppose a wire 2m long is to be cut into two pieces, each of which will be formed into a square. Find
the size of each piece to maximize the total area of the two squares.
Example 13

A movie screen on a wall is 20 feet high and 10 feet above the floor. At what distance x from the
front of the room should you position yourself so that the viewing angle of the movie screen is as
large as possible ? (See diagram.)
Example 14

A steel pipe is being carried down a hallway 4m wide. At the end of the hall there is a right-angled
turn into a narrower hallway 3m wide. What is the longest length of pipe that can be carried
horizontally around this corner?

3m

4m
3.8 RELATED RATES

Example 1

An oil tanker has an accident and oil pours out at the rate of 20 m3/min. Suppose that the oil spread
1
onto the water in a circle at a thickness of m. Determine the rate at which the radius of the spill
120
is increasing when the radius reaches 500 m.

Example 2

A 10 m ladder leans against the side of a building. If the top of the ladder begins to slide down the
wall at the rate of 2m/sec, how fast is the bottom of the ladder sliding away from the wall when the
top of the ladder is 8 m off the ground?
Example 3

A man 6 ft tall walks at a rate of 5 ft/sec away from a light that is 15 ft above the ground. At what
rate is the length of his shadow moving?

Example 4

A car is travelling at 50 mph due south at a point 0.5 mile north of an intersection. A police car is
travelling at 40 mph due west at a point 0.25 mile east of the same intersection. At that instant, the
radar in the police car measures the rate at which the distance between the two cars is changing.
What does the radar gun register?
Example 5

A spectator at an air show is trying to follow the flight of a jet. The jet follows a straight path in front
of the observer at 792 ft/sec. At its closest approach, the jet passes 600 feet in front of the person.
Find the maximum rate of change of the angle between the spectator’s line of sight and a line
perpendicular to the flight path, as the jet flies by.