Math Problem Statement
A rancher is planning to build a rectangular fence around his property, with one side of the property being next to a cliff. The property is 6150 square yards, and only the three sides not adjacent to the cliff will be fenced off.
What is the least amount of fencing required for this job?
Solution
Let represent the width of the rectangular fenced area (the side perpendicular to the cliff), and let represent the length (parallel to the cliff). Since the area of the fenced region is given as 6150 square yards, we have:
The fencing will cover the two widths and one length (only three sides), so the total length of fencing needed, , is:
Our goal is to minimize , given the constraint . To solve this, we can express in terms of using the area equation:
Substitute this expression for in the fencing equation:
Now, we have a function of alone:
To find the minimum fencing required, we’ll take the derivative of with respect to , set it equal to zero, and solve for .
-
Differentiate with respect to :
-
Set the derivative equal to zero to find critical points:
Rearrange to solve for :
-
Find using :
-
Calculate the minimum fencing :
Thus, the least amount of fencing required is approximately 221.84 yards.
Would you like further details or have any questions?
Follow-up Questions:
- How would the solution change if all four sides were fenced?
- What if the area was increased to 10,000 square yards?
- How does this optimization apply in a real-world ranch setting?
- Could we solve this problem using different variables for width and length?
- How does calculus help in optimizing resource use in general?
Tip: Optimization problems often benefit from identifying constraints first and expressing all variables in terms of one another to simplify.
Ask a new question for Free
By Image
Drop file here or Click Here to upload
Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Calculus
Optimization
Algebra
Formulas
Area formula: x * y = 6150
Fencing formula: F = 2x + y
Expression for y: y = 6150 / x
Derivative: F'(x) = 2 - 6150 / x^2
Theorems
Optimization using calculus
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 11-12