Bacharach

Biosphere III
(MA version: omit 5,6,10-17,23)
In preparation for colonization of extraterrestrial bodies, NASA has commissioned
the Biosphere project which attempts to sustain human life in a completely self-sufficient,
self-contained environment. The first attempt, undertaken by Professors (Names, name,
name, name, name, name), ended in a catastrophic fire when one of the composting plants
exploded from a clogged methane tube. The second Biosphere project included team
members (Names, name, name, name, name, name). This project ended following an
argument over crop rotation - half the team was for clockwise, the other half for counter-
clockwise; let’s just say it got bloody before it was all over.
You are one of the planners of Biosphere III, and you must solve several problems
related to amounts and supplies.
The (p)opulation as a function of (t)ime (in days) of bacteria “O-give”, which supply
oxygen for the biosphere, increases according to the following logistics growth function:

p=
6 × 106
1 + 47e −.5t
. This equation is derived from the differential equation
dy
dx
b g
= ky A − y

A
and has the general form y ( t ) = .
1 + Be − Akt
1 At t = 0, what is the population of O-give?
2 At t = ∞, what is the population of O-give?
3 Graph population vs. time. Use a graphing calculator to assist you find at least 12
specific points.
4 After about how many days does the rate of increase of the bacteria begin to slow?
5 Using the general form of the equation, and/or the differential equation, find the
time t and y value at which the rate of increase is greatest. What is the
rate of increase at this point? Answers should be in terms of A, B, and k.
6 What is the rate of increase of the number of O-give with respect to time after 20
days? after 100 days?
Each O-give bacterium produces 10 molecules of oxygen every hour. Each human
requires 5 X 106 molecules of O2 every hour. There will be two human females (name and
name) and two human males (name and name) living in Biosphere III. Any produced O2
that is not used in the following hour decays to other oxide compounds.
7 How many O-give bacteria are necessary to sustain the introduction of the first
human?
8 After how long would all four humans be able to live in Biosphere III?
9 What is the most number of humans that would be able to live in it?
10 Redo question 7 if produced O2 does not decay each hour.
In order to deflect the maximum amount of harsh ultraviolet rays from the sun (eventual
colonization will likely take place where there is little natural atmosphere), you must make
several structural considerations as to the shape of Biosphere III. You will want the

x2 y2
proto-colony to be the shape derived from rotating the curve + = 1, x > 0, y > 0
2500 400
about the y-axis, where x and y are in meters and y will represent the height of your 3-D
shape. The residents of Biosphere III will need to plant fruit trees. Orange trees will
grow to a height of 10 meters. Apple trees will grow to a height of 5 meters, and coconut
palms will reach 18 meters.
11 If the polysilica-carbonaceous material of the dome costs $250 per square meter,
what will be the total cost of the structure?
12 What percentage of the ground on Biosphere III is available for planting orange
trees? Apple trees? Coconut palms?
13 What will the total volume of the proto-colony be?
14 If, through the special filter in the material of Biosphere III, harmful ultraviolet
light is deflected at incident angles between 15° and 35°, how much area can be
devoted to outside recreation at noon?

The humans in Biosphere III, tired of getting hit by falling coconuts, disregard NASA
orders and plant only apple and orange trees. Each apple tree requires 10 m2, and each
orange tree requires 20m2. Each produces 60 fruits and 40 fruits, respectively.
15 How much area can be planted with apple trees but not orange trees?
16 How much area can be planted with both types?
17 How many trees of each type should be planted in order to produce the most fruit?
How much fruit will that be?

NASA funding is cut drastically. Biosphere III is no longer monitored actively. The Great
Revolution of (current year) takes place as math students from all nations unite to take
over the world. This insurrection is led by “Che” (name), “Fidel” (name), (name)
“Franco”, and “Mao-Tse” (name). Some years later Biosphere III and one of its long
dead inhabitants (name) is discovered.
18 If (name’s) body had had 90% as much C14 as a live body would, how long ago
would (he/she) have died?
19 How many years would it take for the amount in her body to drop to 5% (the
amount when she was actually found)?
It is believed that the original colonists had many generations of descendants. Records
indicate that the youngest inhabitant (name) was 1000 years the junior of the person in the
previous question. They lived the same number of years.
20 What C14 percentage should be in (name’s) body?

The (current year) Revolution went too far. Students, (names), drunk with power, began
to burn all math books. The fire began over three acres and spread exponentially
according to the equation: Area = (Original area)(1.1)(2 x number of days)
21 How long before the fire had quadrupled in size?
22 How long before the fire had burned 1000 acres?
23 How fast were the flames enveloping the landscape after 10 days?

Heat was given off by the flames according to the following equation:
Temperature (°F) = 30[log4(w/d)3], where ‘w’ is wind speed in meters/second and ‘d’ is
distance in kilometers from the flames.
24 Rewrite the equation into natural logs using change-of-base and logarithm laws.
25 If the wind was blowing at 20m/s and you were 30m from the inferno, what would
the temperature have been?
26 If the temperature was 300°F and you were 50m from the fire, what was the wind
speed?

As I’m sure you know, the planning you have undertaken is far more simplistic than would
be necessary to actually make such a proto-colony successful (such as the previous,
flawed attempts).
27 List, in complete sentences, 5 problems with restricting your planning to only the
conditions given in the previous questions.
 6 × 106
1) . × 105 = A/(1+B)
= 125
1 + 47
2) 6 X 106 = 60 X 105 = A
3) (graph of p(t) v. t done by hand using at least 12 individual data points)
4) PC answer: 8 days (read off graph from number 3) (~7.7 days)

e j.
−1
5) y = A 1 + Be − Akt

y′ = A kBce h
2
c1 + Be h
− Akt − Akt −2

y′′ = A kB c
2
e h bg
−2 c1 + Be hb
− Akt
− AkBg + − Akc
− Akt −3
e h c1 + Be h = 0 − Akt − Akt −2

= →F Gy = ; Be = 1I J
1 1 y A ln B
=
H 2 K Ak
→t= − kt
− Akt
2 1 + Be A
Fln BI A A is position of vertex in differential equation which is an upside-down
yG J = or
HAk K 2 2
parabola (halfway between two zeros 0 and A) or substitute into general equation from 2nd to last
step in solving for t.
6) p’(20) = 6374 O-give/day; p’(100) = 3 X 10-14 O-give/day
5 × 106 molecules
7) = 5 × 105 O − give
10 molecules O − give

6 × 106
8) 4 x 5 X 105 O-give = 2 X 106 O-give =
1 + 47e −.5t
→ e −.5t = 4.255 × 10−2 → t = 6.3 days
9) 6 × 106 O − give • 10 mol. O − give ÷ 5 × 106 mol. human = 12 humans

10) O2 required for humans = 4 • 5 X 106 = 2 X 107 = z

t 6 × 106
0 1 + 47e −.5t
• 10 dt

1
3
=
t
z dt
0 1 + 47e −.5t
 integrated graphically: t ≈ 4.54 days.

F1 − x IJ dx = 100,000π ≈ 104,720 m
Surface of revolution = 2π z20xG
50
2
1
2

H 2500K
2
11)
0 3
104,720m2 × $250/m2 ≈ $26,180,000

x2 y2 2 = a 2 1− y
2 F I
12) Total area = πa2. a 2 = 2500, b 2 = 400, +
a 2 b2
= 1 → x
b2
G
H JK
 πx 2 x 2 y2
y = tree height, % of usable ground is = = 1 −
πa 2 a 2 b2
orange: 75%; apple: 93.75%; coconut: 19%
13) V = 4/3 πabc/2 (??) = 2/3 π(50)2(20) m3 = 104720 m3
14) Total area = πa2. UV area = πx22 - πx12, where x1 is distance from center that
corresponds to 35° incidence and x2 is distance from center that corresponds to
15° incidence. Area available = total area - UV area = π(a2 + x12 - x22).

x2 y2
To relate x-y values to angle of incidence, differentiate + = 1 implicitly
2500 400
2x 2y • y′ −4 x
to get 2500 + 400 = 0 → y ′ = 25y . Set up triangle to associate angle of

x2 −4 x x tan(90 o − θ )
y = 20 1 − → y′ = =
incidence and angle of dome. 2500 x2 x
25 • 20 1 −
2500

F I12
G 2 2 90o − θ i j JJ
x 2  x = G125 tan e
− x = 125 tan(90o − θ ) 1− i G J
2500 G 1252 tan 2 e
90o − θ i jJ
G
H1+ 2500
JK
If θ = 35°, x1 ≈ 48.15 m. If θ = 15°, x2 ≈ 49.72 m.
Area available = π(502 + 48.152 - 49.722) = 7371 m2.
15)
F 52 I, F 102 I
G
H b2 JK
x apple 2 = a 2 1 − G
H b2 JK
x orange 2 = a 2 1 −

(stilla 2 = 2500, b 2 = 400)

A apple = πx apple 2 , A orange = πx orange 2 , A apple − A orange = 1472.6 m3

16) Aorange is a subset (within)of Aapple so answer is Aorange = 5890.5 m3

17) Orange trees are taller  less area available since they hit the roof
Orange trees require more ground area  less trees on same amount of space
Orange trees produce less fruit 
 A apple
= numberapple = 736 apple trees
All apple trees = 10m2
fruit = numberapple • 60 fruits tree = 44,160 apples

1 − kt ln 2
t 1 2 = 5730 yearsfor C14 , A = A oe 1 2 → k =
18) 2 o t1 2
.9A o = A o e − kt → t = 870 years

19) .05A o = A o e − kt → t ≈ 24,500 years

F
− kG ln.05 I
20)
e H− t1 2 ln 2 −1000JK ≈ 583%
.

21) di2t → log11. 4 = 2t → t = log211. 4 = 21 lnln114. = 7.3days

4A o = A 0 11
.

F1000I lnF
log11. G J
1000 I
H 3 K 1 H3 JK G
→ log11. F
22) 1000 I
1000 = 3di
11
.
2t
G
H3 JK = 2 t → t =
2
=
2 ln 11.
= 305
. days

dA
23) A = 3 11
. ,di2 t dt
= 3 • ln 11 di2t • 2 = 6 ln11. • di
. • 11
. 11
.
2t
t =10
. acres day
= 385
t =10

L
M FwI O
3
P= d3 × 30idlog4 w − log4 di
24)
M G
T = 30 log 4
Hd JKP
N Q
by Change-of-Base Formula, T = 90G
Fln w − ln d IJ = 90 dln w − ln di
Hln 4 ln 4 K ln 4
25) T = 90 d
ln 20 − ln.03i= 422°F
ln 4

300 = 90 F
G
ln w − ln
50 IJ → ln w = 1625
. → w ≈ 5m s
26)
ln 4 H 1000 K
27) (5 possible errors or assumptions - must be in complete
sentences)