MA1301 Introductory Mathematics

Tutorial 5 Solution

TAN BAN PIN

National University of Singapore

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Question 1

(a) A closed rectangular box that has a square base and a capacity of 8 ft3
is to be constructed using the least amount of materials. Find the
dimensions of the box.

(b) An open rectangular box that has a square base and a capacity of 8 ft3
is to be constructed using the least amount of materials. Find the
dimensions of the box.

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Question 1(a) Suggested Solution
Let x be the side of the base and h the height of the box.
It is given that 8 = x2 h. Then h = x82 .
We shall minimize the surface area:
8 32
A = 2x2 + 4xh = 2x2 + 4x · 2
= 2x2 + , x > 0.
x x
Differentiate A with respect to x:
dA 32
= 4x − 2 .
dx x
dA 32
√
Let dx = 0. Then 4x = x2
implies that x = 3 8 = 2. Moreover,

d2 A 64 d2 A
= 4 + ⇒ = 12 > 0.
dx2 x3 dx2 x=2

8 8
Therefore, A has the minimum at x = 2 and h = x2
= 22
= 2.
TAN BAN PIN MA1301 Introductory Mathematics 3 / 19
Question 1(b) Suggested Solution

We shall minimize the surface area:

8 32
A = x2 + 4xh = x2 + 4x · = x2 + , x > 0.
x2 x
Differentiate A with respect to x:
dA 32
= 2x − 2 .
dx x
dA 32
√ √
Let dx = 0. Then 2x = x2
implies that x = 3 16 = 2 3 2. Moreover,

d2 A 64 d2 A
= 2 + ⇒ √ = 6 > 0.
dx2 x3 dx2 x= 3 16
√ 8
√
Therefore, A has the minimum at x = 2 3 2 and h = √ = 3
2.
(2 3 2)2

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Question 2

A right circular cone has a base radius of 6 cm and a height of 9 cm. Find
the volume of the largest cylinder that can be fitted in the cone.

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Question 2 Suggested Solution

Let r be the base radius and h the height of the cylinder.

By similar triangles, 6−r h 3
6 = 9 . Then h = 2 (6 − r).

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Question 2 Suggested Solution

We shall maximize the volume of the cylinder

3 3π
V = πr2 h = πr2 · (6 − r) = (6r2 − r3 ), 0 < r < 6.
2 2
Differentiate V with respect to r:
dV 3π
= (12r − 3r2 ).
dr 2
dV
Let dr = 0. Then 12r = 3r2 implies that r = 4 (0 < r < 6). Moreover,

d2 V 3π d2 V
= (12 − 6r) = 9π(2 − r) ⇒ = −18π < 0.
dr2 2 dr2 r=4

3π
Therefore, at r = 4, the volume has the maximum 2 (6 · r2 − r3 ) = 48π
cm3 .

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Question 3

A rectangle of maximum area is to be inscribed in the ellipse with equation

x2 + 4y 2 = 72.

Find the area of such a rectangle.

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Question 3 Suggested Solution

Let (x, y) be the vertex of the rectangle in the first quadrant. Then
√
2 2 72 − x2
x + 4y = 72 ⇒ y = .
2
We shall maximize area of the rectangle
√
72 − x2 p √
A = 4xy = 4x · = 2x 72 − x2 , 0 < x < 6 2.
2
Maximizing A is equivalent to maximizing
√
S = A2 = 4x2 (72 − x2 ), 0 < x < 6 2.

dS
= 4(144x − 4x3 ).
dx

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Question 3 Suggested Solution

dS
√
Let dx = 0. Then 144x = 4x3 implies that x = 6 (0 < x < 6 2).

Moreover,

d2 S 2 2 d2 S
= 4(144−12x ) = 48(12−x ) ⇒ = 48(12−62 ) = −1152 < 0.
dx2 dx2 x=6

Therefore, S is maximized
√ at x = 6; equivalently,
√ at x = 6, A has the
maximum value 2x 72 − x2 = 2 · 6 · 72 − 62 = 72 cm2 .

TAN BAN PIN MA1301 Introductory Mathematics 10 / 19

Question 4

A piece of wire of length 32 cm is bent to form the pentagon ABCDE,

where ACDE is a rectangle and ∆ABC is a right-angled triangle such
that ∠ABC = 90◦ , AB = 3x cm and BC = 4x cm.

(i) Express the length of AC and CD in terms of x.

(ii) Show that the area enclosed by the wire is given by A = 80x − 24x2 .
(iii) Find the stationary value of A.
(iv) Show that the stationary value of A in (iii) is a maximum.

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Question 4(i) Suggested Solution

By Pythagoreans’ theorem,
p p √
AC = AB 2 + BC 2 = (3x)2 + (4x)2 = 25x2 = 5x.

Note that CD = EA and ED = AC. Thus

2CD = 32 − (AB + BC + DE) = 32 − (3x + 4x + 5x) = 32 − 12x,

16
which implies that CD = 16 − 6x. So 0 < x < 6 = 83 .

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Question 4(ii) Suggested Solution

The area of the rectangle ACDE is AC × CD = 5x(16 − 6x).

1
The area of ∆ABC is 2 · AB · BC = 21 (3x)(4x) = 6x2 .

A = 5x(16 − 6x) + 6x2 = 80x − 24x2 .

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Question 4(iii) Suggested Solution

Differentiate A with respect to x:

dA
= 80 − 48x.
dx
dA 80
Let dx = 80 − 48x. Then x = 48 = 53 , and the stationary value of A is
 2
5 5 200
80 · − 24 = .
3 3 3

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Question 4(iv) Suggested Solution

Find the second derivative of A with respect to x at x = 53 :

d2 A d2 A
2
= −48 ⇒ = −48 < 0.
dx dx2 x=5/3

Therefore, at x = 35 , A has the maximum value 200

3 .

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Question 5
A line passes through the point P (8, 1) and cuts the positive part of x-
and y-axis at points A and B respectively. Let θ = ∠BAO, where O is
the origin.

(i) Show that the length of the line segment AB is given by

L = sin1 θ + cos8 θ .
(ii) Find the stationary value of L.
(iii) Suppose θ is increasing at a constant rate of 1 radian per second.
Calculate the rate at which L is changing at the instant when θ = π4 .
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Question 5(i) Suggested Solution

As shown in the diagram,

1 8 π
L = AB = AP + P B = + , 0<θ< .
sin θ cos θ 2

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Question 5(ii) Suggested Solution
Differentiate L with respect to θ:
dL 1 8 8 sin θ cos θ
= − 2 · cos θ − · (− sin θ) = − .
dθ sin θ 2
cos θ 2
cos θ sin2 θ
Let dL
dθ = 0. Then
8 sin θ
cos2 θ
= cos θ
sin2 θ
implies that 8 sin3 θ = cos3 θ; that is,
tan θ = 12 .

If tan θ = 12 , then sin θ = √15 and cos θ = √25 , and the stationary value of
L is
1 8 √ √ √
√ 1 + 2 = √
5 + 4 5 = 5 5.
5 5

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Question 5(iii) Suggested Solution

At any time t, it is given that dθ

dt = 1. Then
 
dL dL dθ 8 sin θ cos θ 8 sin θ cos θ
= · = − 2 ·1= − .
dt dθ dt 2
cos θ sin θ 2
cos θ sin2 θ

Therefore,
√8 √1 √ √ √
dL 2 2
= 2 −  2 = 8 2 − 2 = 7 2.
dt θ= π4
√1 √1
2 2

TAN BAN PIN MA1301 Introductory Mathematics 19 / 19