SOLUTION: A small island is 4 miles from the nearest point P on the straight shoreline of a large lake. If a woman on the island can row a boat 2 miles per hour and can walk 3 miles per hour
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Question 758089: A small island is 4 miles from the nearest point P on the straight shoreline of a large lake. If a woman on the island can row a boat 2 miles per hour and can walk 3 miles per hour, where should the boat be landed in order to arrive at a town 12 miles down the shore from P in the least time? Let x be the distance between point P and where the boat lands on the lake shore.
(A) Enter a function T(x) that describes the total amount of time the trip takes as a function of the distance x.
T(x) =
(B) What is the distance x=c that minimizes the travel time? Note: The answer to this problem requires that you enter the correct units.
c = .
(C) What is the least travel time? Note: The answer to this problem requires that you enter the correct units.
The least travel time is .
(D) Recall that the second derivative test says that if T′(c)=0 and T′′(c)>0, then T has a local minimum at c. What is T′′(c)?
T′′(c) =
You can put this solution on YOUR website! The distance walked would be (12-x) miles.
The distance rowed would be miles.
(A) , measured in hours.
(B) T'(x) = is zero for so --> --> --> --> --> --> --> -->
The approximate value is
Since you are entering an answer, the expected answer may be "3.6 miles", but I would not know what format will be accepted. Maybe "miles" must be abreviated. Maybe spaces are not accepted, and the computer wants "c=3.58mi" for an answer. Maybe an answer starting with "c=" is not accepted.
(C) The least travel time is
I calculated
(D) T"(x) = =
I calculated T"(c) =
I see no reason to make us calculate that. Finding that T(c)=0, while T(x)<0 for x < c and T(x)>0 for x > c proves that T(x) decreases for x < c and increases for x > c, so there is a minimum at x=c.