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Transportation
Costs(or Trucker'sDilemma)
Math 1050CollegeAlgebraProject

.f#*ffi9
Lollese

Ma*renatia Dipartment

A truok drivil|g 260 miles over a flat interstale at a conslant rate of 50 miles per hour gets ? miles to the
Eallon. Fuelcosts $3,5O per gallon. For each mile per hour increasoir| speed,tho truck losesa tenth of a
mile per gallon in lts milcago. Drivors get $27,50 per hour in waliesand fixed costs for runninli th truck
amount to $1 1.33 per hour. Whal conslantspeed(betwen50 mph and tho spced limit of 65 mDh)should
the |fuck drlve to minimizetfte total cost of the tripl
PartI: To solvea problenlik this,it is a goodideato startwith calculating
an actualexample.We will beginby finding
thetotalcostiftbe huck is drjvenat 50 nils perhour. Thecostis mide up of two components:
thefuel costandthe
timecost. Be sureto includethecorrectunitswith eachvaluebelow.
A. Let's startoutby findinghow longthet[ip will take.

*760ai <
_ 5'Z hrs'
Sond
The lengthoftime fequiredfof thetrip is

5.2 hrs,

. (Do not round.)

B. Now, with thistimeknown,how muchwill it costto paythedriverandrun thetruck?

5.1(2 7t{, + ll.3i) F Szor'cl

I heamount
needed
to p.rythedriveranJrunrhetruckis $ 2Or-91

(Ro nd to nearestcent.)

C. Nextdetermine,
at 7 milespef gallonfor 260miles,how muchfuel witl be required.

' ffi =st'tts"tb,.

The amountol fuel requireclis

37.llak6

(Do not round. IPNe as aliaction.)

D. With theamountof fuel kno\rn.how muchwill thefuel costto makethe260 miles?

lZl.t
{ e.s,:(:z.r$=$
,+'-^ ^^

Thecosrofthefuel i<qlz't.'l'l

.lRoundto ncdrpqccrt.)

E. Finallywe canfind theTOTAL cost.

+lLe.qc'J33l.go
$ zor.qr
The total costfor the trip is

$:sr.qo

. (Roundto nearestcent.)

Part Il The Feceding processshouldhaveilluminatedthe basicprocedulewe will useto find the total cost of a ftip.
Next we will find the total cost if the t uck is driven at 65 miles Derhour. As in part I. includethe corect units with each
value.
A. I-et'sfind how longtle trip will take.

4.4t = tq 5r.
65rytt
Thelengthof timerequired
for thetripis

4 ir9

(Do not round.)

B. Now,with thistime known,how muchwill it costto paythedriverandrun thehuck?

+t|33)= $155.32
+(21.50
'\
Theamount
needed
to paythedriverandrunrherruckis $ 155,f,Z

. (Round
to nearest
cent.)

C. Next,to begindetermining
thefuelcost,weneedto findthemileage
(milespergallonof fuel)whenthetruck
is travelling
at65milesperhour.

l= #

,
'I

= 47'zz
gdbx

hemilease
at65milesDerhouris

5.5 ro
'3!--

(Donotround)

D. Withthefuelmileage
known,howmuchluelwill beneeded
for the260miles?

299 = *7.L7
5,5

Theamountof fuel requiredis

q7.27

Do not round. Iaeveas afraction.)

E. With the amountof fuel known, how much will the fuel cost to male the 260 miles?

-3.soQe/s. s) 4. 5 4I+i.z7) t65 4+

The of rhefoeli. $ 165. +rf
"o.t

. (Round
to nearcst
cent.)

F. Finallywe canfind theTOTAI cos!.

| 6 5. 4+ ! I 55.3?-'- 3Lo'7c
)+-^-1/
Therolalcostfor thelrip js + szf/ ' /("

. tRoundto nparestc?nt.)

Partlll. We shouldnow havea goodpmcessfor detennining

thetotalcostof a trip for anytateof speedgreaterthanor
equalto 50 milesperhour- Next is to createa TotalCostfirnotionusingX astheunknownftte in milesperhour.
Simplifyyouranswers
andremember
to includeunlts.As lou workthrougheachstep,testrouranswersbypluegingifi
50 mph dndthe 65 nph and comparingwith resultsJiomparts I6nd II.
A. Lt'sfind how lons thetdDwill take.

!!9 - s..n.'. ?99= q56

5b

Thelengthof timerequiredfor thetrip is

5.234 h6.

B. Now with thistimeknown,how muchwill it costto paythedriverandrun thetruck?

5.L(3r.as):$zor.qr iG6,s3)=# t55.iz

Theamounto[ moncynecJvdto pry thedr;vcrInd run thc truckis q 2ol.
C. Next,to begindetermining
thefuel cost,we needto find themileuge(milespergallonoffuel) whenthetruck
is travellingat X lnilesperhour.

7-.t($-50)

9,,gh=
Z^ry

7 - ,1(ts)

7 - I.St g.s
Themileoge
atX milesperhouris 7 3 5.5 nfl
D. With thefuel mileageknown.how muchfuel will be neededfor the260 miles?

= 3't't1

260

rolb,'

= 47.27 galloas

Theamountof fuel requiredis 3Z

E. With theamountof fuel known.how muchwill thefuel costto makethe260miles?

3.5o(37)D=$j21.19

3.5o(v7.zt)=lls.w
Thecostoftherueris$ lli,q9 J $ U5.91 .

F. Now we canfind theTOTAL costfunction.ExpressyourfunctionasC(X) =

z?.
so(+) l,. 33(:9 r3.r"(,=A'6r)
rorALr,ipcosrFunc,io"
i, c(il"?4q(#)

lll'33(#)jgo.)
/:,60\

((:---.'At">tJ

G. The last thing we shoulddo is verify that this is the conect firnction by evaluatingit at 50 mph and 65 mph to
seeif we getihe samevalueswe havepreviouslycomputed.

=3?.n@) r rso( #,6)

c (sr>)

C(as)=

/:g)
\Ls/

r r.33/3!e)l3.soI z.o
\c5 /

= d3st.q)
clsoy

\F1@))
$ 3Lo'77
"1ut1=

paft IV. Assumingthe function is modelingcorectly, you needto calculatethe minimum cost. Graphthe Cost Function
and find its minimum point. Sketchyour gaph here: Have the lower left point represent(50'315) You may usea
gaphing utility to help you find the minimum Poitrt.

3t,l
333

$"8
:rt f
au

cosT for,n"olp,, '{ 319'Zq

Theminimum

31r
3lt
tL7

3za
32,5

rz.r
3zt
cosr i"
eMPHthatminimizes

32?
3Zl

6 | nJolt

'10
5tt '

MPH
ReflecriveWriting: How did this Foject changethe way you think aboutreal-worldmath applications?Write at leastone
paragraphstatingwhat ideascha:rgedandwhy. Next, discusshow the math skilts that you appliedin this Foject will
impactother classesyou will takeill your schoolcareer?Point to specificpans of the project and your own processin
completingit that might haveapplicationsfor other classes.

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