The Application of Calculus To

Determine The Maximum Volume And

Minimum Area of Household Storage
Products

MATHEMATICS INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Candidate Name: Medha Tater

Personal Code:
Session Code:
Exam Session: May 2021

1
Plastics are a range of synthetic organic material which can easily be folded and molded into
different shapes1. There are many different types of plastics and it is one of the most used
materials in the world2. The material is mostly used due to its durability, versatility and
recyclability. Plastics remain unchanged over long periods of time and cannot be shattered or
broken when met with large amounts of force. They can be transformed into different shapes
with the use of very less energy and can be reused more than once. With such useful properties,
the plastic industry is one of the biggest industries in the world. The industry grows at an average
rate of 3% per year and it was worth $1.1 trillion in 2016 which is said to become a $1.2 trillion
industry by 20203. In fact, it is so prevalent in our daily lives, that an average person consumes
approximately 100 kilograms of plastic each year mostly in the form of packaging4.
On a more personal note, my family has been in the packaging and plastic industry since many
years and I learned a lot about it when I interned in a plastic factory in 11th grade. One can say
that the packaging industry is, to an extent, a subset of the plastic industry because most
packaging products such as containers are made using plastic. During my internship, I observed
how plastic is produced and the different methods a firm uses to produce the final container. I
learnt that the plastic first goes through a process called extrusion wherein a solid plastic mass,
pellets or powder is converted into a melted form where it is further pushed through a die into a
shape5. In my internship, we used the process of extrusion to produce large sheets of plastic
which were further used to make boxes, cylinders and bottles.
Once the plastic sheets are ready and before going ahead with the container production, there are
2 fundamental questions that must be answered. Firstly, we must understand the optimal (or
minimum) amount of plastic that each product will require in order to manage the raw material
available. Once this is understood, the factory allocates an average amount of plastic to each
product, for example an area of 500cm2 worth of plastic sheets will be allocated towards
producing 1 bottle. Moreover, once we allocate material to each good, we must know the
maximum space that the container will provide based on the amount of plastic allocated to them.
We must answer this question in order to make best use of our resources and to obtain a better
understanding of our production possibilities.
The above questions struck me again during math class while we were studying calculus and
revising the concept of optimization with maximum and minimum values. While I studied these
topics in class, I realized that the concepts from calculus can help us answer the two fundamental
questions that manufacturers of containers ask themselves. Thus, I have decided that I will base
the following investigation on the application of calculus in determining the minimum amount of

1
"How Plastics Are Made". Plastics.Americanchemistry.Com, 2020, https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/How-
Plastics-Are-Made/.
2
"Fifty Materials That Make The World". Springerprofessional.De, 2020,
https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/fifty-materials-that-make-the-world/15865334?tocPage=1.
3
Resource-Recycling.Com, 2020, https://resource-recycling.com/resourcerecycling/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/
TBRC-Plastic-Products.pdf.
4
Globalist, The. "Plastic Consumption: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - The Globalist". The Globalist, 2020,
https://www.theglobalist.com/plastic-consumption-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/.
5
"What Is Plastic Extrusion? | Milacron Blog". Milacron Blog, 2020,
https://www.milacron.com/mblog/2018/02/14/what-is-plastic-extrusion/.
2
plastic (corresponding to minimum surface area) required to produce a packaging product and
the maximum space (or volume) that packaging product can provide given a constant amount of
plastic.
For this exploration, I will use a cylinder, cuboid and the bottle shape in order to calculate the
maximum volume and minimum surface area. I have chosen the following shapes out of personal
interest and also because they are the most popular shapes in the packaging industry6. The aim of
this investigation is to set up two optimization problems, in order to find maximum space that a
product can provide and the minimum amount of material required to produce it. The results of
this investigation will help me explore how calculus is used in real world business scenarios.
The concepts that will help me work through this investigation are that of optimization 7 and
calculus8 aided by geometry, algebra and graphing software.
Introduction:
In order to carry out this investigation, I will first determine a formula for the volume (V) and
total surface area (TSA) of the chosen shapes. Once I have determined the formula, I will split the
working into 2 parts, one where I will determine the minimum surface area required to produce a
storage box with a capacity of 1 liter (1000cm3) of liquid and second where I will try to find the
maximum volume that the box can provide with a constant 500cm2 area of plastic sheet.
Throughout the investigation, I will assume that the amount of liquid inside is equal to the
volume of the container.

6
"Decoding The Different Types Of Packaging Products [A Complete Guide] - Bizongo Hive". Bizongo Hive,
2020, https://bizongo.com/blog/different-types-of-packaging-products/.
7
"Calculus I - Optimization". Tutorial.Math.Lamar.Edu, 2020,
https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/classes/calci/optimization.aspx.
8
"Calculus I - Minimum And Maximum Values". Tutorial.Math.Lamar.Edu, 2020,
https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/MinMaxValues.aspx.
3
SHAPE # 1: Cylinder
In real-life scenarios, a cylinder shaped box might be different; however, in this investigation we
will consider a cylinder with a circle base like one shown in Image 19 and Figure 210
Determining a formula for the volume using volumes of revolution. In order to do this, we must
graph a straight line parallel to the x-axis at height r and rotate it 360o about the x-axis as shown
in figure 111. A horizontal line r units above the x-axis has the equation f (x)=r . Also the height
of the cylinder is h thus the upper limit of the integral will be h and the lower limit will be 0,
therefore,
Using the volume of revolution formula12,
Formula for volume of revolution h
V =π ∫ f (x) dx
2
b
¿ π∫ f ( x )
2
0
h
a
V =π ∫ r dx
2

0
Taking r 2 out as it is a constant
Figure 1: Depicting the rotation of the line
h
f(x)=r on the XY plane
V =π r
2
∫ 1 dx
0

V =π r [ x ] h
2

0
2
V =π r [h−0]
2
V =π r h
Determining surface area by rotating the line f (x)=r 360o about the x-axis and using the surface
of revolution formula13. Using the formula, we only obtain the lateral surface area thus in order
to obtain the total surface area, we must add the area of the 2 circular bases (¿ 2 π r 2).

( )
h
TSA= ∫ 2 πf ( x ) √ 1+f ( x ) dx + 2 π r
' 2 2
Formula for surface of 0
revolution

( )
h
TSA= ∫ 2 πr √ 1+ ( 0 ) dx +2 π r
b 2 2
¿ 2 π ∫ f ( x) √ 1+ f ( x )
' 2
0
a

9
"Cylindrical Shaped Metal Gift Container On White Background - Buy This Stock Photo And Explore Similar
Images At Adobe Stock". Adobe Stock, 2020, https://stock.adobe.com/in/images/cylindrical-shaped-metal-gift-
container-on-white-background/103119599. Figure 2: Depicting a
10
"Vector Graphics Software | Adobe Illustrator". Adobe.Com, 2020, Diagramatic representation
https://www.adobe.com/in/products/illustrator.html? of Image 1
gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9LuizcPS6gIVTR0rCh1LGgbgEAAYASAAEgJX1fD_BwE&sdid=SBNHMR64&mv=searc
h&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI9LuizcPS6gIVTR0rCh1LGgbgEAAYASAAEgJX1fD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!
248235017693!e!!.
11
See note 10
12
"6.4 Arc Length Of A Curve And Surface Area | Calculus Volume 1". Courses.Lumenlearning.Com, 2020,
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-openstax-calculus1/chapter/arc-length-of-a-curve-and-surface-area/.
13
See note 14
4
 h
TSA=∫ 2 πr dx +2 π r
2

Taking constant 2 πr out:

h
TSA=2 πr ∫ 1 dx+ 2 π r
2

TSA=2 πr [x ] h π r
2

0+2
2
TSA=2 πr [h−0]+ 2 π r
2
TSA=2 πrh+2 π r

Finding minimum area:

Equating V to 1000
2
V =π r h
2
π r h=1000
1000
h= 2
πr

1000
Substituting h= 2 in TSA in order to eliminate h and express TSA in terms of r
πr Image 1: Depicting an
original cylindrical
∴ TSA=2 πr
1000
πr
2( )
+2 π r
2 shaped box

2000 2
TSA= +2 π r
r

Differentiating TSA using power rule of differentiation

−2000
∴ TS A ' = 2
+ 4 πr
r

Equating TS A' to 0 in order to find the stationary points of the function (a point in a function
where it’s first derivative is equal to 0) and further using that to find the value of r at minimum
TSA
2000
∴− 2
+4 πr =0
r
2000
4 πr = 2
r
3 2000
r=
4π
r=
√3 2000

r =5.419
4π

5
 r ≈ 5.42 cm(3 s . f .)

1000
When r =5.42cm , h= 2
π ( 5.42 )
h=10.839 cm
h ≈ 10.8(3 s . f .)
Thus,
2
TSA=2 π ( 5.42 ) ( 10.8 ) +2 π ( 5.42 )
TSA=552.370
2
TSA ≈ 552 c m (3 s . f .)

Using the second derivative test and finding TSA’’ at r ≈ 5.42 cm in order to verify whether the
above values are minimum. The second derivative test is used in order to understand the nature
of the stationary points of a function. If the value of TSA” at r ≈ 5.42 cm is more than 0 (> 0)
then the value of TSA is a minima.
'' 4000
TS A = 3
+4 π
r
Thus, At r ≈ 5.42 cm,
'' 4000
TS A = +4π
( 5.42 )3
TSA=37.7 ( ¿ 0 ) , ∴TSA is minimum.

I have further graphed the TSA equation on the XY plane (in graph 1) to verify my results in
graph 114. The value of TSA according to the graph is slightly higher than what we obtained
because we rounded off the value of r and h.

Graph 1: Depicting the TSA Function on an XY Plane wherein TSA is plotted on the Y-Axis and r is plotted on X-Axis

14
"Desmos | Beautiful, Free Math". Desmos.Com, 2020, https://www.desmos.com/.
6
Finding maximum volume:
Equating TSA to 500
∴ TSA=2 πrh+2 π r 2
2
2 πrh+ 2 π r =500
2
500−2 π r
h=
2 πr
2
500−2 π r
Substituting h= in V to eliminate h and express V in terms of r
2 πr

( )
2
500−2 π r
∴ V =π r 2
2 πr
3
V =250 r−πr

Differentiating V using power rule of differentiation

2
V '=250−3 πr
Equating V ' to 0 in order to find the stationary points of the function and find the value of r at
maximum V
2
250−3 πr =0
r=
√
250
3π
r =5.1503 cm
r ≈ 5.15 cm(3 s . f .)
2
500−2 π ( 5.15 )
When r =5.15 cm, h= =10.302 ≈ 10.3 cm
2 π ( 5.15 )

∴ V =π ( 5.15 )2 ( 10.3 )
V =858.226
3
V ≈ 858 c m (3 s . f .)
Using the second derivative test and finding V’’ at r ≈ 5.15 cm in order to verify whether the
above values are accurate. If the value of V” at r ≈ 5.15 cm is less than 0 (< 0) then the value of
TSA is a maxima.
V ' '=−6 πr
Thus at r =5.15 cm,
''
V =−6 π (5.15 )
¿−97.1 ( ¿ 0 ) ∴V is maximum.

7
I have further graphed the function of V in order to verify the results obtained above in graph 215.
The value of V in the graph is slightly larger than our results due to the rounding off of the r and
h values.

Graph 2: Depicting the V Function on an XY Plane wherein V is plotted on the Y-Axis and r is plotted on X-Axis

SHAPE # 2: Bottle-Shape
One can find a bottle in many different designs; however, in this investigation we will consider a
bottle like the one in Image 216 and figure 417 with 2 differently sized cylinders and a hemisphere.
In order to make calculations easier, we will assume that the ratio of the smaller radius r to the
larger R is 1:2 ¿) and the ratio of the smaller height h to the larger H is 1:2 as well (∴ H=2 h).
Before deriving an equation for the volume (V B) and TSA (TSA B) of the bottle shape, we must
consider the smaller cylinder and hemisphere separately. When we calculate the volume of the
bottle shape, we cannot blatantly add the volume of the two cylinders and hemisphere together
because when we place a cylinder on top of a hemisphere, it tends to create a spherical cap like
shown in figure 3. In geometry, a spherical cap is a portion of a sphere cut off by a plane18 and in
this case the base of the smaller cylinder acts like the plane cutting off the sphere. Thus, while
calculating the volume and surface area of the bottle, we must omit the spherical cap in order to
obtain a more accurate solution.
Therefore, before obtaining a formula for the volume and surface area of the bottle, we must
obtain one for the spherical cap itself. In order to better visualize what a spherical cap is, one
may look at figure 319:

15
See note 14
16
"The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash". Indiamart.Com, 2020,
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/the-body-shop-tea-tree-skin-clearing-facial-wash-20518078573.html.
17
See note 10
18
"Spherical Cap". En.Wikipedia.Org, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_cap#:~:text=For%20example
%2C%20assuming%20the%20Earth,surface%20area%20of%20the%20Earth. Figure 3: Diagramatic
19
See note 10 representation of a spherical cap in
a sphere
8
 r
sinθ=
R
r
sinθ=
2r
1
sinθ=
2
θ=arcsin
1
2 ()
π
θ=
6
π 2 3
V S .Cap= ( 1−cosθ ) ( 2+cos θ ) R
3

( )( )
2
π π π 3
V S .Cap= 1−cos 2+ cos R
3 6 6

( 2+ )(1− ) r
2
∴ V S . Cap =
8π √3 √3 3
3 2 2
2
TSA S .Cap =2 π R ¿

TSA S .Cap =2 π R 1−cos

2
( ( π6 ))
=8 π r (1− )
∴ TSAS .Cap √3
2
2
Now that we know the formula for the volume and surface area of the spherical cap, we can
devise one for the bottle as well20.
V B=Volume of Small Cylinder +Volume of Large Cylinder + ( Volume of Hemisphere−Volume of Spherical Cap )
TSA B=base area of large cylinder + CSA of large cylinder + (CSA of hemisphere−sperical cap CSA )+CSA of small

Before doing so, we must determine a formula for the volume (V H ) and surface area (TSA H ) of a
hemisphere like we did for the cylinder by rotating a semicircle ( f ( x )=√ R2−x 2 ) within the upper
and lower boundaries of R and -R about the x-axis for 180o as shown in figure 5. In order to
rotate f(x) for 180o we will divide the volume (V s ) and surface area (TSA s) of a sphere by 2

Thus, for volume,

R
2 2
V s =π ∫ ( √ R −x )
2
dx
−R
R
π 2
V H= ∫ ( √ R2−x 2 ) dx
2 −R

20
"Sphere: Surfaces Area, Hemisphere, Volume, Formulas, Videos, Examples". Toppr-Guides, 2020,
https://www.toppr.com/guides/maths/surface-areas-and-volumes/sphere/
Figure 5: Diagrammatic
representation of the 180o rotation
of the semi-circle 9
 R
π
V H = ∫ R −x dx
2 2
2 −R

[ ]
3
π 2 x R
V H= R x −
2 3 −R

( )
3 3
π 2 ( R) (−R )
V H= R ( R )− −R2 (−R ) +
2 3 3

V H=
π 4 3
2 3
R ( )
2 3
V H= π R
3
Similarly, for surface area,

√
R

( )
2
d
TSA s=∫ 2 π √ R 2−x2 ∙ 1+ ( √ R2−x 2 ) dx
−R dx

√
R
1+ ( ( √ R −x ) ) dx
2
d
TSA H = ∫ π √ R2−x 2 ∙ 2 2

−R dx

√ ( )
R −1 2
1 2 2 2
TSA H = ∫ π √ R −x ∙ 1+ ( R −x ) (−2 x ) dx
2 2

−R 2

√
R

( )
2
−x
TSA H = ∫ π √ R −x ∙ 1+
2 2
dx
−R √ R 2−x 2

√
R
x2
TSA H = ∫ π √ R2−x 2 ∙ 1+ 2 2
dx
−R R −x

√
R
R2
TSA H = ∫ π √ R2−x 2 ∙ 2 2
dx
−R R −x

√
R
1
TSA H =πR ∫ √ R −x ∙
2 2
2 2
dx
−R R −x
R
TSA H =πR ∫ 1 dx
−R

TSA H =πR [x ] R
−R
TSA H =πR [R−(−R)]
2
TSA H =2 π R

Now, coming back to the bottle,

V B=Volume of Small Cylinder +Volume of Large Cylinder + ( Volume of Hemisphere−Volume of Spherical Cap )

( ( )( ) )
2
2
V B=π r h+ π R H +
2 2 3
πR −
8π
2+
√3 1− √3 r 3
3 3 2 2

10
Eliminating R and H using R=2r and H=2h

( ( )( ) )
2
2 2 3
∴ V B =π ( 2 r ) ( 2h )+ π ( 2r ) −
8π
2+
√ 3 1− √ 3 r 3 + π r 2 h
3 3 2 2

( ) ) ( )(
2
V B=8 π r h+
2 16 3 8 π
πr − 2+
√ 3 1− √3 r 3 + π r 2 h
3 3 2 2

V =9 π r h+ ( π − ( 2+ )(1− ) )r
2
16 28π √3 √3 3
B
3 3 2 2
∴ V B =9 π r 2 h+3 √ 3 π r 3

TSA=base area of large cylinder +CSA of large cylinder + ( CSA of hemisphere−sperical cap CSA ) +CSA of small c

(
TSA B=π R2 +2 πRH + 2 π R2−8 π r 2 1− √ +2 πrh+ π r 2
2
3
( ))
Eliminating R and H using R=2r and H=2h

2
(
TSA B=π ( 2 r ) + 2 π ( 2 r ) (2 h )+ 2 π ( 2 r ) −8 π r 2 1− √ +2 πrh+ π r 2
2

2
3
( ))
(
TSA B= 13 π−8 π 1− √
2
3 2
(
r +10 πrh ))
TSA B=( 13 π −8 π + 4 √ 3 ) r +10 πrh
2

∴ TSA B=( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 2 +10 πrh

Finding minimum area:
Equating V B to 1000

V B=9 π r h+ 3 √ 3 π r
2 3

9 π r h+ 3 √ 3 π r =1000
2 3

1000−3 √ 3 π r
3
h= 2
9πr

( 1000−3 √ 3 π r 3 )
Substituting h= 2
in TSA in order to eliminate h and express TSA in terms of r
9πr

( 1000−3 √ 3 π r
)
3
TSA B=( 5+4 √ 3 ) π r + 10 πr
2
2
9π r

(
10 √ 3
TSA B= 5+ 4 √ 3−
3
π r2 +
10000
9r )
Equating TSA B ' to 0 in order to find value of r at minimum TSA

11
 ( 10 √ 3
TSA B '=2 π 5+ 4 √ 3−
3
r−
10000
9r
2 )
(
2 π 5+4 √ 3− √ r −
10 3
3 )10000
9 r2
=0

(18 π (5+ 4 √ 3− 103√ 3 ) r −10000) =0

3

9 r2

( )
18 π 5+ 4 √ 3− √ r 3−10000=0
10 3
3
3 10000
r=
(
18 π 5+ 4 √ 3−
10 √3
3 )

√
10000
r =3
(
18 π 5+ 4 √ 3−
10 √ 3
3 )
r =3.0628
r ≈ 3.06 cm(3 s . f .)
When r =3.06 cm,

(
∴ TSA B= 5+4 √3−
10 √ 3
3 )
π (3.06)2 +
10000
9(3.06)
TSA B=544.158
2
TSA B ≈ 544 c m (3 s . f .)

Using the second derivative test and finding TSA’’ at r ≈ 3.31 cm in order to verify whether the
above values are minimum. If the value of TSA” at r ≈ 3.31 cm is more than 0 (> 0) then the
value of TSA is a minima.

(
TSA B ' '=2 π 5+ 4 √ 3−
10 √ 3
3
+ )
20000
9(3.06)3
TSA B ' ' ≈ 116.23 ( ¿ 0 ) ∴TSA is minimum

I have further graphed the TSA B function in order to verify my results in graph 321. The value of
TSA B is slightly higher in the graph due to the rounding off of the value of r and h.

21
See note 14
12
 Graph 3: Depicting the TSA Function on an XY Plane wherein TSA is plotted on the Y-Axis and r is plotted on X-Axis

Finding maximum volume:

Equating TSA B to 500

TSA B=( 5+4 √ 3 ) π r + 10 πrh=500

2

( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 2 +10 πrh=500
( 500−( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 2)
h=
10 πr

Substituting h=
( 500−( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r ) in V in order to eliminate h and express V in terms of r
2

10 πr

V B=9 π r
2
( ( 500−( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 2 )
10 πr ) +3 √ 3 π r
3

9
V B=450 r − ( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 3 +3 √ 3 π r 3
10
9
(
V B=450 r + 3 √ 3− ( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 3
10 )
Equating V B ' to 0 in order to find value of r at maximum V.

V B' =450+3 3 √ 3− ( 9
10 )
( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 2

(
450 +3 3 √ 3−
9
10
( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π r 2=0 )
2 −450
r=
(9
3 3 √ 3− ( 5+4 √ 3 ) π
10 )
13
 √(
−450
r=
9
3 3 √3− ( 5+4 √3 ) π
10 )
r =2.936
r ≈ 2.94 cm(3 s . f .)
When r =2.94 cm ,

V B=450 (2.94)+ 3 √3− ( 9

10 )
( 5+ 4 √3 ) π (2.94)3
V B=880.778
3
V B ≈ 881 c m (3 s . f .)

Using the second derivative test and finding V” at r =3.30 cm in order to check the solutions
obtained. If the value of V” at r ≈ 3.30 cm is less than 0 (< 0) then the value of V is a maxima.

(
V B'' =6 3 √ 3−
9
10 )
( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) πr

(
V B'' =6 3 √ 3 π −
9 ( 5+ 4 √ 3 ) π
10 )
( 2.94 )

V B ' '=−306.54 ( ¿ 0 ) ∴ V is a maxima

I have further graphed the V B function in order to verify my results in graph 422. The value of V B
is slightly lower in the graph due to the rounding off of the value of r.

Graph 4: Depicting the V Function on an XY Plane wherein V is plotted on the Y-Axis and r is plotted on X-Axis

SHAPE # 3: Cuboid

22
See note 14
14
In real life scenarios, a cuboid shaped box may be designed differently; however, in this
investigation, we will use a cuboid like one shown in Image 323 and Figure 624
In order to make calculations easier, we will assume a square base25.
V =lbh
2
V =x h
TSA=2(lb+lh+ bh)
TSA=2 ( x 2+ xh+ xh )
2
TSA=2(x +2 hx)
2
TSA=2 x + 4 hx
Finding minimum area:
Equating V to 1000
2
V =x h=1000
2
x h=1000 Figure 6: Depicting a
1000 diagramatic representation
h= 2 of image 3
x
1000
Substituting h= 2 in TSA equation in order to eliminate h and express TSA in terms of x
x

TSA=2 x + 4
2
( 1000
x )
2
x

40002
TSA=2 x +
x
Equating TSA’ to 0 in order to find value of x at minimum TSA
' 4000
TS A =4 x− 2
x
4000
4 x− 2
=0
x
3
4 x −4000
2
=0
x Image 3: Depicting
3 an original cuboid
4 x −4000=0
shaped box
3 4000
x=
4
3
x =1000
x=√ 1000
3

23
Supplies, Multi-Purpose et al. "Wood Cuboid Shape Coin Money Bank Saving Box Kids Creative Educational
Toys | Ebay". Ebay, 2020, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wood-Cuboid-Shape-Coin-Money-Bank-Saving-Box-Kids-
Creative-Educational-Toys-/163474685974.
24
See note 10
25
"Unit 9 Section 4 : Surface Area And Volume Of 3-D Shapes". Cimt.Org.Uk, 2020,
https://www.cimt.org.uk/projects/mepres/book9/bk9i9/bk9_9i4.html.
15
 x=10 cm

2 4000 2
Thus when x=10 cm , TSA=2 ( 10 ) + =600 c m
10
Using the second derivative test and finding TSA” at x=10 cm in order to verify the obtained
results. If the value of TSA” at x=10 cm is more than 0 (>0) then the value of TSA is minima.
''8000
TS A =4+ 3
x
'' 8000
TS A =4+
( 10 )3
TSA ' '=+12 ( ¿ 0 ) ∴TSA is a minima
I have further graphed the TSA function in order to verify the solutions obtained in graph 526.
The values in the graph and the solutions I obtained perfectly match depicting the accuracy of
my results.

Graph 5: Depicting the TSA Function on an XY Plane wherein TSA is plotted on the Y-Axis and x is plotted on X-Axis

Finding maximum volume

Equating TSA to 500
2
TSA=2 x + 4 hx=500
2
500−2 x
h=
4x
2
500−2 x
Substituting h= in V in order to eliminate h and express V in terms of x
4x

26
See note 14
16
 ( )
3 2
500−2 x 2 250 x−x
V =x V=
4x 2
Equating V’ to 0 in order to obtain value of x at maximum volume
' 3 2
V =125− x =0
2
3 2
125− x =0
2
2 250
x=
3

x=
250

x=9.1287
3 √
x ≈ 9.13 cm(3 s . f .)
3
250 ( 9.13 )−( 9.13 )
∴V=
2
V =760.725
3
V ≈ 761 c m (3 s . f .)
Using second derivative test and finding V” at x=9.13 cm in order to verify the obtained results.
If the value of V” at x=9.13 cm is less than 0 (< 0), then the value of V is a maxima
''
V =−3 x
''
V =−3 ( 9.13 )
V ' '=−27.39 ( ¿ 0 ) ∴ V is a maxima
I have further graphed the V equation in order to check the obtained results in graph 627. The
results I obtained were slightly higher due to the rounding off of the values of x and h.

Graph 6: Depicting the V Function on an XY Plane wherein V is plotted on the Y-Axis and x is plotted on X-Axis

Results Table:
27
See note 14
17
 Shape Maximum Volume at Minimum Area at
Constant Area Constant Volume

Cylinder 858cm3 552cm2

Bottle Shape 881cm3 544cm2

Cuboid 761cm3 600cm2

Analysis:
The aim of the above investigation was to setup two optimization problems to help answer two
fundamental questions of the packaging industry. By obtaining the minimum surface area of a
container at constant volume we answered the question about minimizing costs because
minimizing surface area corresponds to a lower usage of raw material. Similarly, calculating the
maximizing volume at a constant surface area helped us understand the maximum space that a
container can provide based on the allocated material. According to the above exploration, when
it comes to reducin the usage of raw material, the bottle shape does a particularly good job as it
uses only 544cm2 of plastic in order to produce a bottle with a capacity of 1000cm3. The bottle
shape uses 1.47% lesser plastic
552−544
544 ( )
×100=1.47 in comparison to the cylinder and

10.29% lesser plastic (

600−544
544 )
× 100=10.29 in comparison to a cuboid. This depicts that

when a plastic factory must reduce its costs, they should encourage the production of the bottle
shape and reduce the production of the cuboid. On the other hand, when it comes to maximizing
the space that each container provides, the bottle shape again does a particularly good job as it
produces a product providing maximum volume of 881 cm3 which is 2.61% more than

( 881−858
881 )
×100=2.61 that of the cylinder and 13.62% more than that of the

( 881−761
881 )
× 100=13.62 the cuboid. Therefore, one can say that in both the scenarios, the bottle

shape does a fairly good job at using minimal material and providing maximum volume as and
when needed.
Evaluation:
The above experiment has taken into account a number of factors while calculating minimum
TSA and maximum volume such as the removal of the spherical cap in deriving the volume and
TSA equations for the bottle shape. The obtained values have been verified using the graphical
and calculus based double differential method which increases the accuracy of the results.
However, the experiment ignores the thickness of the containers which in fact makes a very large
difference while discussing the “amount of plastic used” but this assumption of ignoring the
thickness has been made throughout the study for all the shapes thus standardizing the results of
the study. With respect to standardization, all the values that were calculated were rounded to 3
significant figures which might have caused some discrepancies; however, the difference is very
18
small and negligible. While calculating the volume and TSA equations of the bottle shape, in
order to make calculations easier, we assumed that the ratio of the smaller radius r to the larger R
and the ratio of the smaller height h to the larger H is 1:2 ( H=2h∧R=2 r ) which makes the
results rather unreliable. We also disregarded the size or the cap of the container which is always
made slightly larger than the top of the container to make it fit. As a whole, the results of this
experiment illustrate important information about how industrial plastic use can be reduced
around the world by choosing the appropriate shape of packaging.
Scope for further research:
This investigation provides much scope for further investigation which can be carried out by
taking more complex shapes and a more diverse range of scenarios of a packaging factory can be
mirrored. Researchers may use more irregular shapes and calculate minimum TSA and
maximum volume with respect to different designs. As there are different types of plastics
involved while producing packaging products, researchers can analyze the use of different types
of plastic in order to find the minimum cost of packaging.
Conclusion
Through this mathematical research I have mirrored two real life scenarios of a plastic factory
and shown that the bottle shape is good for reducing costs and increasing profits of a factory. I
believe that this experiment is very essential and companies should bear in mind plastic waste as
they should also think about the ecosystem while minimizing their own expenses. Plastic can be
very detrimental to the surroundings and the livestock that people consume, such as fish.
Through this real-life application of mathematics, I feel I have delved deeper into the subject
which was very exciting as finding distinct methods and its implementation in real life scenarios
gave me a better understanding of the topics I learnt in class. Concepts such as linear
programming would have led to a better outcome, and I would also want to check if the results I
obtained using optimization were the same as those that I would get using this linear
programming.
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