SOLUTION: A rectangle dog kennel is to be constructed alongside a house with 60 m of fencing. If the house serves as one side of the kennel, determine the greatest possible area that can be

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Question 1132440: A rectangle dog kennel is to be constructed alongside a house with 60 m of fencing. If the house serves as one side of the kennel, determine the greatest possible area that can be enclosed.
Answer by greenestamps(13200) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Let the width of the kennel (perpendicular to the side of the house) be x. Then with a total of 60m of fencing, the length is 60-2x.

The area of the kennel is then

x%2860-2x%29+=+-2x%5E2%2B60x

Then find the value of x that maximizes the area either using calculus, or by knowing that the value of x that maximizes ax^2+bx+c is x = -b/2a.

Then remember that the value of x is not the answer to the question; you need to use it to find the maximum area.