Math Problem Statement

The total cost​ (in dollars) of producing x food processors is ​C(x)equals2200plus20xminus0.1xsquared. ​(A) Find the exact cost of producing the 71st food processor. ​(B) Use the marginal cost to approximate the cost of producing the 71st food processor. Question content area bottom Part 1 ​(A) The exact cost of producing the 71st food processor is ​$    enter your response here. Part 2 ​(B) Using the marginal​ cost, the approximate cost of producing the 71st food processor is ​$    enter your response here.

Solution

Let's break this problem into parts:

Part (A): Exact Cost of Producing the 71st Food Processor

The total cost function is given by:

C(x)=2200+20x0.1x2C(x) = 2200 + 20x - 0.1x^2

To find the exact cost of producing the 71st food processor, we need to find the difference in total costs between producing 71 food processors and 70 food processors:

Cost of the 71st processor=C(71)C(70)\text{Cost of the 71st processor} = C(71) - C(70)

  1. Find C(71)C(71):

C(71)=2200+20(71)0.1(712)C(71) = 2200 + 20(71) - 0.1(71^2)

  1. Find C(70)C(70):

C(70)=2200+20(70)0.1(702)C(70) = 2200 + 20(70) - 0.1(70^2)

After calculating both, subtract the values to get the exact cost of producing the 71st food processor.

Part (B): Approximate Cost Using the Marginal Cost

The marginal cost is the derivative of the cost function C(x)C(x). We can approximate the cost of producing the 71st food processor using the marginal cost at x=70x = 70.

First, find the derivative of the cost function C(x)C(x):

C(x)=ddx(2200+20x0.1x2)C'(x) = \frac{d}{dx} \left( 2200 + 20x - 0.1x^2 \right)

Then evaluate C(70)C'(70), which will give us the marginal cost at the 70th processor. The result will approximate the cost of producing the 71st food processor.

Let me calculate both parts now:

Part (A): Exact Cost

C(71)=2200+20(71)0.1(712)=2200+14200.1(5041)=2200+1420504.1=4115.9C(71) = 2200 + 20(71) - 0.1(71^2) = 2200 + 1420 - 0.1(5041) = 2200 + 1420 - 504.1 = 4115.9

C(70)=2200+20(70)0.1(702)=2200+14000.1(4900)=2200+1400490=3110C(70) = 2200 + 20(70) - 0.1(70^2) = 2200 + 1400 - 0.1(4900) = 2200 + 1400 - 490 = 3110

Exact Cost of 71st Processor=C(71)C(70)=4115.93110=1005.9\text{Exact Cost of 71st Processor} = C(71) - C(70) = 4115.9 - 3110 = 1005.9

So, the exact cost of producing the 71st food processor is $1005.90.

Part (B): Approximate Cost Using the Marginal Cost

Now, calculate the marginal cost function:

C(x)=ddx(2200+20x0.1x2)=200.2xC'(x) = \frac{d}{dx} (2200 + 20x - 0.1x^2) = 20 - 0.2x

Evaluate at x=70x = 70:

C(70)=200.2(70)=2014=6C'(70) = 20 - 0.2(70) = 20 - 14 = 6

So, the approximate marginal cost of producing the 71st food processor is $6.


Final Answers:

  • (A) Exact cost of producing the 71st food processor: $1005.90
  • (B) Approximate cost of producing the 71st food processor using the marginal cost: $6

Would you like a further explanation or more details on any of these calculations? Here are some related questions to help you dive deeper:

  1. How do you interpret the marginal cost in real-world terms?
  2. What would happen if the cost function had a linear form, without the quadratic term?
  3. How could the marginal cost approximation be more accurate for larger values of xx?
  4. What does the second derivative of the cost function tell you about the behavior of the cost?
  5. How would you use this information for pricing or cost-control decisions in a business?

Tip: The marginal cost is a good approximation when the change in xx is small, as it uses the derivative to estimate the rate of change.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Cost Functions
Derivatives
Marginal Cost
Quadratic Functions

Formulas

C(x) = 2200 + 20x - 0.1x^2
C'(x) = 20 - 0.2x

Theorems

Derivative as the Marginal Cost
Cost Difference Method

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 11-12