document.write( "Question 334094: A carpenter is building a rectangular room with a fixed perimeter of 312 feet, what dimension would yield the maximum area? What is the maximum area? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #239385 by jrfrunner(365) You can put this solution on YOUR website! As a general rule, the maximum area of a rectangle will be the special case when it is a square. \n" ); document.write( "--- \n" ); document.write( "Let L=length \n" ); document.write( "Let W=width \n" ); document.write( "Let P=perimeter of rectangle \n" ); document.write( "Let A=area of rectangle \n" ); document.write( "-- \n" ); document.write( "we know that P=2*L+2*W \n" ); document.write( "and that A=L*W \n" ); document.write( "-- \n" ); document.write( "Given: P=312, find L and W such that A is maximum \n" ); document.write( "--- \n" ); document.write( "Area: A=L*W \n" ); document.write( "Perimeter: 312=2*L+2*W \n" ); document.write( "-- \n" ); document.write( "312=2*L+2*W \n" ); document.write( "156=L+W (divide both sides by 2 to simplify) \n" ); document.write( "L=156-W (solve for L) \n" ); document.write( "A=L*W=(156-W)*W (substitute for L) \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "-- \n" ); document.write( "This is a parabola with vertex at (78,-6084) \n" ); document.write( "Since the leading coefficient of the square term is negative, the curve turns downward, thus this is a maximum. \n" ); document.write( "-- \n" ); document.write( "Therefore W=78 is the maximum. And since L=156-W=156-78=78 \n" ); document.write( "-- \n" ); document.write( "Answer: the maximum area is when L=78 and W=78 which is a square. \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |