Math Problem Statement

A power company installs 100 wind turbines in a large field. When all the windmills are operating the electrical capacity is 55,000 kilowatts (kW) of electricity. Find the equation of proportionality that relates the number of operating windmills to the total electrical capacity (in kW). What is the electrical capacity (in kW) when 56 windmills are operating?

Solution

To find the equation of proportionality between the number of operating wind turbines and the total electrical capacity, we use the fact that the relationship is directly proportional.

Given:

  • 100 wind turbines produce 55,000 kW of electricity.
  1. Let NN represent the number of operating wind turbines, and CC represent the total electrical capacity in kilowatts (kW). The equation of proportionality is:

C=kNC = k \cdot N

where kk is the constant of proportionality.

  1. To find kk, use the known values when all 100 turbines are operating:

55,000=k10055,000 = k \cdot 100

Solving for kk:

k=55,000100=550k = \frac{55,000}{100} = 550

So the equation that relates the number of operating turbines NN to the total electrical capacity CC is:

C=550NC = 550 \cdot N

  1. To find the electrical capacity when 56 windmills are operating, substitute N=56N = 56 into the equation:

C=55056=30,800kWC = 550 \cdot 56 = 30,800 \, \text{kW}

Thus, the electrical capacity when 56 windmills are operating is 30,800 kW.


Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions for deeper understanding:

  1. What would be the electrical capacity if only 75 wind turbines are operating?
  2. If the electrical capacity is 44,000 kW, how many wind turbines are operating?
  3. How would the equation change if the wind turbines became more efficient, producing 60,000 kW with 100 turbines?
  4. What is the significance of the constant of proportionality in this scenario?
  5. How does the equation change if some turbines are operating at reduced capacity?

Tip: In direct proportionality, increasing one quantity by a certain factor increases the other quantity by the same factor.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Proportionality
Direct Variation
Linear Equations

Formulas

C = k * N
k = 55,000 / 100

Theorems

Direct Proportionality Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8