You're correct to question why the second derivative was set to zero. I made an error in my explanation. To clarify:

To find the time when the rate of flow was the greatest, we should focus on the first derivative of the volume function, not the second derivative.

Correct Approach

1. Find the first derivative $V'(t)$: The first derivative $V'(t)$ represents the rate of flow of water out of the pond.

   $V'(t) = \frac{t^2(6 - t)}{300}$

2. Maximize the rate of flow: To find when the rate of flow is greatest, we need to find the maximum of $V'(t)$. This is done by setting the first derivative of $V'(t)$, which is the second derivative of the original volume function $V(t)$, equal to zero.

   We already found the second derivative $V''(t)$:

   $V''(t) = \frac{1}{300} \cdot 3t(4 - t)$

   Set $V''(t) = 0$:

   $3t(4 - t) = 0$

   The critical points are $t = 0$ and $t = 4$.

3. Determine the nature of the critical point: Since we're interested in the time when the rate of flow is maximum, we examine the sign of $V''(t)$:

   • For $t = 0$, the rate of flow is initially zero, and $V''(t)$ is positive, indicating a minimum.
   • For $t = 4$, $V''(t)$ changes sign from positive to negative, indicating a maximum.

Conclusion

The rate of flow is greatest at 4 hours. The second derivative test confirmed that this is a maximum, not a minimum.

Would you like further clarification on this or any other aspect of the solution?

Here are 5 related questions to consider:

1. What is the significance of the sign of the first derivative in analyzing a function?
2. How can we confirm that the value at $t = 4$ is truly a maximum?
3. What happens to the rate of flow after 4 hours?
4. How would the problem change if the volume function were a different type of polynomial?
5. Can you apply a similar approach to solve a problem involving acceleration and velocity?

Tip: The first derivative finds the rate of change, and the second derivative identifies whether that change is increasing or decreasing, helping to find maxima and minima.