Math Problem Statement

The total cost for a product is C(x) = 100(.02x+4)^3 dollars, where represents the number of hundreds of units produced. Find the minimum average cost

Solution

To find the minimum average cost for the product, we'll follow these steps:

  1. Identify the average cost function, A(x)A(x), by dividing the total cost function C(x)C(x) by xx: A(x)=C(x)x=100(0.02x+4)3xA(x) = \frac{C(x)}{x} = \frac{100(0.02x + 4)^3}{x}

  2. Simplify the average cost function by rewriting the expression: A(x)=100(0.02x+4)3xA(x) = 100 \cdot \frac{(0.02x + 4)^3}{x}

  3. Differentiate A(x)A(x) with respect to xx to find A(x)A'(x), which helps us locate the minimum points: A(x)=ddx(100(0.02x+4)3x)A'(x) = \frac{d}{dx} \left(100 \cdot \frac{(0.02x + 4)^3}{x}\right)

  4. Set A(x)=0A'(x) = 0 and solve for xx to find the critical points.

  5. Evaluate these critical points to determine the minimum average cost.

I'll go through the differentiation and solving steps to find the critical points.The derivative A(x)A'(x) is:

A(x)=96(0.005x+1)2x6400(0.005x+1)3x2A'(x) = \frac{96(0.005x + 1)^2}{x} - \frac{6400(0.005x + 1)^3}{x^2}

Setting A(x)=0A'(x) = 0, we find critical points at x=200x = -200 and x=100x = 100.

Since xx represents the number of hundreds of units produced, only x=100x = 100 is relevant in this context.

  1. Evaluate A(x)A(x) at x=100x = 100 to find the minimum average cost.The minimum average cost occurs at x=100x = 100 (or 10,000 units produced), and the minimum average cost is:

A(100)=216 dollarsA(100) = 216 \text{ dollars}

Would you like further details or have questions on this process?


Related Questions

  1. How would the minimum average cost change if the cost function had a different coefficient?
  2. What is the significance of finding the minimum average cost in production?
  3. How do you verify if a critical point indeed represents a minimum?
  4. Can this approach be applied if C(x)C(x) were a different function, like a polynomial?
  5. What happens to the average cost as xx approaches very large values?

Tip: For cost functions, minimizing average cost can help determine the most efficient production level.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Calculus
Optimization
Average Cost Function
Differentiation

Formulas

Average cost function: A(x) = C(x) / x
Differentiation to find minimum: A'(x) = 0

Theorems

Critical points in calculus
Minimization of functions using derivatives

Suitable Grade Level

Undergraduate level - Calculus