SOLUTION: A length of wire is cut into two pieces, one of which is bent to form a circle, the other a square. How should the wire be cut if the area enclosed by the two curves is to be a mi

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Geometry -> SOLUTION: A length of wire is cut into two pieces, one of which is bent to form a circle, the other a square. How should the wire be cut if the area enclosed by the two curves is to be a mi      Log On

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Question 199429: A length of wire is cut into two pieces, one of which is bent to form a circle, the other a square. How should the wire be cut if the area enclosed by the two curves is to be a minimum?
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let the total length of the wire = 1
Let the length of a side of the square = x
The area of the square will be x%5E2
The perimeter of the square will be 4x
The perimeter of the circle will be 1+-+4x
Let the perimeter of the circle = P
Let the radius = r
P+=+2%2Api%2Ar
2%2Api%2Ar+=+1+-+4x
r+=+%281+-+4x%29%2F%282%2Api%29
Let area of circle = A
A+=+pi%2Ar%5E2
A+=+pi%2A%281+-+4x%29%5E2%2F%282%2Api%29%5E2
A+=+%28pi%2A%281+-+8x+%2B+16x%5E2%29%29%2F%284%2Api%5E2%29
A+=+%2816x%5E2+-+8x+%2B+1%29%2F%284%2Api%29
The total area is:
A+=+%2816x%5E2+-+8x+%2B+1%29%2F%284%2Api%29+%2B+x%5E2
Multiply both sides by 4%2Api
4%2Api%2AA+=+%2816+%2B+4%2Api%29%2Ax%5E2+-+8x+%2B+1
If I make 4%2Api%2AA a minimum, A will be a minimum
With a parabola, the minimum occurs at x%5Bmin%5D+=+-b%2F%282a%29
b=+-8
a+=+16+%2B+4%2Api
x%5Bmin%5D+=+-%28-8%29%2F%282%2A%2816+%2B+4%2Api%29%29
x%5Bmin%5D+=+8%2F%2832+%2B+8%2Api%29
x%5Bmin%5D+=+1%2F%284+%2B+pi%29
The perimeter of the square is:
4x+=+4%2F%284+%2B+pi%29
The perimeter of the circle is:
1+-+%284%2F%284+%2B+pi%29%29+=+%284+%2B+pi%29%2F%284+%2B+pi%29+-+%284%2F%284+%2B+pi%29%29
%284+%2B+pi+-+4%29+%2F+%284+%2B+pi%29
pi%2F%284+%2B+pi%29
The cut should be made so the lengths of
the two wires are 4%2F%284+%2B+pi%29 and pi%2F%284+%2B+pi%29
Hope I didn't make a mistake- this is the way to do it, though