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Tutorial 7 Part 1 Curve Sketching and Max & Min Problems
1. Sketch the following graphs showing all intercepts and turning points, giving
coordinates to 2 decimal places if necessary.
a) f ( x) x 3 3x 2 9 x 5 b) f ( x) x 3 7 x 6
2. The given sketch graph shows the graph of f (x) for a certain function f (x).
^ y y=f ' (x)
(-2, 0) (0, 1)
>x
a) For which value of x does f (x) have a local maximum or minimum?
b) What is the slope of the tangent to the curve of f at the point where x = 0?
c) For which values of x is the function f increasing? Give a reason for your
answer.
d) Is the point referred to in a) a local maximum or a local minimum?
3. The perimeter of a rectangle is 600mm. Find the dimensions of the rectangle which
has a maximum area.
4. One side of a rectangle is (50 + x) mm in length. The perimeter of the rectangle is
to be 500mm. Find x so that the area of this rectangle is a maximum.
5. Galvanised sheeting of width 600mm is to be bent so as to form a gutter, (as shown
in the diagram below). It is open at the top.
x
To carry water most efficiently, the cross sectional area should be a maximum. If x
is the width of the gutter in mm:
x
a) Show that the cross sectional area is given by A (600 x) .
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b) Find x so that the area is a maximum.
c) Calculate the depth of the gutter for this value of x.
d) Calculate the maximum cross-sectional area.
6. The sum of two positive numbers is 10. Find the numbers if their product is to be a
maximum.
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7. In the diagram below, f is the curve, y 2 x 2 6 x , and l is the line y = 2x.
RN is perpendicular to the x-axis. R lies on the parabola between O and A.
Q lies on l.
^y
R
l
A
Q f
x>
O N
a) Express the length of RQ in terms of:
(i) y-coordinates of R and Q.
(ii) x.
b) Find the maximum length that RQ can be.
8. The radius of the base of a metal cylinder is x mm. Its height is (300 x) mm.
300-x
a) Show that the volume of the cylinder is given by v 300x 2 x 3
b) Find the value of x which results in maximum volume.
9. A piece of cardboard 80 mm by 50 mm has square corners of side x mm cut out as
shown below. The edges are then folded up so as to form a box without a lid, of
depth x mm.
x
x
80 mm
50 mm
x
a) Show that the volume of the box is given by, V 4 x(40 x)(25 x) .
b) Find x so that the volume of the box is a maximum.
10. A rectangular field is to be fenced in on 3 sides, the fourth side being formed by a
river. The cost of fencing at right angles to the river is R20 per metre, while that
parallel to the river costs R10 per metre to erect. If the field is to be 100m2, find its
dimensions so that the cost of fencing will be a minimum.
11. A page must have an area of 600 cm2, and the printing on it must leave margins of 1
cm each at the top and the sides, and a margin of 2 cm at the bottom. What must
the dimensions of the page be, so that the printed area is a maximum?
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12. A certain brand of corned beef is sold in rectangular tins whose bases are twice as
long as they are wide. If a tin holds 576 cm3 of beef, what must the height be, to
use as little metal as possible?
13. Divide 10 into two parts so that the product of the square of one part and the cube
of the other part is a maximum.
14. A piece of wire 48 cm long is cut into two pieces. One piece is bent to form a
square of side x cm and the other is bent to form a circle. Find:
a) x so that the total area of the square and circle is a minimum.
b) this minimum area.
15. The strength of a beam is proportional to the product of its width, w, and the square
of its depth, d.
60 cm d
w
Find the measurements of the strongest beam which can be cut from a cylindrical
log of diameter 60 cm. (Leave your answers in surd form.)
16. A semi-circle is cut out of a rectangle, ABCD, with AB = 500 mm.
A D
B C
If AD = BC = x, determine the area of the shaded portion in terms of x, and hence
calculate the value of x if the area is to be made as large as possible.
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Tutorial 10 Part 2 Curve Sketching and Max & Min Problems
1. Sketch the graphs of the following functions. Show all your working.
a) y 3x 4 6 x 2 b) y ( x 2) 3 8
2. A rectangular block has its length twice its breadth and its volume is 576cm3.
a) If the breadth is xcm, express the length and height in terms of x.
b) Hence show that the total surface area is (4 x 2 1728x 1 ) cm2.
c) Calculate the dimensions of the block with minimum area.
3. A square piece of cardboard 30cm 30cm is used to make a box by cutting equal
squares from the corners and folding it up along the dotted line as shown in the
sketch below.
If the depth of the box is xcm:
a) Express the volume of the box in terms of x (in simplest form).
b) Find the value of x for the volume to be at a maximum.
c) Calculate the maximum volume of the box.
d) Draw a sketch graph to show how the volume varies as x varies.
4. a) Divide 36 into two parts so that the product of one part and the cube of the other
part is a maximum.
b) What is the maximum product?
5. P is any point on the curve y x 2 . PQRS is a rectangle between the curve and the
line x = 6. Let P be (x, x2).
^y y x2
x6
P (x, x 2 )
S
x
>
O Q R
Find:
a) The length of QR.
b) The area of PQRS in terms of x.
c) The value of x for which PQRS has maximum area.
d) The maximum area of PQRS.
6. Show that the sum of any positive number and its reciprocal has a minimum value
of 2. (The reciprocal of x is 1x ).
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7. a) A manufacturer wishes to make cylindrical cans to contain 375ml. There is no
waste involved in cutting the tin used for the wall of the can, but the top and
bottom are to be cut from separate squares, and the corners of the squares are
wasted. Find the ratio of height : diameter for the most economical cans.
b) Suppose the tin used to make the cylindrical wall is twice as expensive as the
tin used for the top and bottom of the can. Find the radius and height which
should be used to produce a can at minimum cost.
8.
^y B lies on the curve, y = x2. A is (0, 1).
Express AB2 in terms of x, and hence
B (x, y) find the coordinates of B for which AB2
(0, 1)
is a minimum.
A
>x
9. Steel gas cylinders are made in the form of a cylinder
with a hemisphere at each end. If the cost per square metre for
r constructing the hemispherical art is twice that of the cylindrical
wall, what dimensions should be used to minimize the cost, if the
h 3
required volume is m ? What is the ratio of height to radius?
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(Area of sphere = 4r 2 , Volume of sphere is 43 r 3 ).
10. The running cost, C of a ship, in rand per hour, is given by the formula C 4 s 3
where s is the speed in knots, (sea miles per hour). Write down the total cost for a
passage of 500 sea miles and find the speed which makes this total cost a minimum.
11. A The figure alongside consists of a rectangle,
BCDE and an equilateral triangle ABE. If the perimeter of
the figure is 18m, find its dimensions when the area is a
maximum.
B E
C D
12. An open cylindrical can has a surface area equal to 100 cm2. Find its maximum
volume.
13. Two quantities, x and y are connected by the relation x + y = 10. Find the maximum
and minimum values of x3y2, Showing clearly which is maximum and which is
minimum.
14. A corporation plans to locate its headquarters in a new rectangular one-story
building to be constructed. They need 30 000m2 of floor space. In addition, they
would like to have a walkway 15m wide at the front and back of the building and a
grass area 20m wide on the other two sides. Determine the length and width of the
plot of smallest area that can be used. (Neglect the thickness of the walls.)