SOLUTION: Two chemical factories are discharging toxic waste into a large lake, and the pollution level at a point x miles from factory A toward factory B is P(x) = 3x2 - 72x + 576 parts per
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-> SOLUTION: Two chemical factories are discharging toxic waste into a large lake, and the pollution level at a point x miles from factory A toward factory B is P(x) = 3x2 - 72x + 576 parts per
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Question 1125231: Two chemical factories are discharging toxic waste into a large lake, and the pollution level at a point x miles from factory A toward factory B is P(x) = 3x2 - 72x + 576 parts per million (for 0 ≤ x ≤ 50). Find where the pollution is the least. Answer by ikleyn(52778) (Show Source):
The minimum of a quadratic function of the general form
y = ax^2 + bx + c
having positive coefficient at x^2 is achieved at x = .
In your case a= 3, b= -72, c= 576 and the minimum is achieved at
x = = = 12 miles.
Answer. The pollution is the least at x = 12 miles from factory A toward factory B.