I have a Very Tricky Calculus Optimization Problem which i need help with.... It goes like this:
"A boat on the ocean is "5" miles from the nearest point, "B", on a straight shore line; that point is 8 miles from a restaurant on the shore. A woman plans to reow the boat straight to a point, "P", on the shore and then walk along the shore to the restaurant. If she rows at 3 mi/hr and walks at 4 mi/hr, at which point, "P", on the shore should she land to "minimize" the total travel "Time" (not distance)....?????"
please help me to understand.
"A boat on the ocean is "5" miles from the nearest point, "B", on a straight shore line; that point is 8 miles from a restaurant on the shore. A woman plans to reow the boat straight to a point, "P", on the shore and then walk along the shore to the restaurant. If she rows at 3 mi/hr and walks at 4 mi/hr, at which point, "P", on the shore should she land to "minimize" the total travel "Time" (not distance)....?????"
please help me to understand.
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Let x be the distance along the shoreline from point B to point P. Then
the distance the woman will row is sqrt(5^2 + x^2), and the distance she
will walk is 8 - x. Since time = distance/speed, we want to minimize
T(x) = sqrt(25 + x^2)/3 + (8 - x)/4. To do this find dT/dx and set equal to 0:
dT/dx = (1/3)*(1/2)*(25 + x^2)^(-1/2) *(2x) - 1/4 = (x/3)*(25 + x^2)^(-1/2) - 1/4
which equals 0 when x = (3/4)*(25 + x^2)^(1/2). Square both sides to get
x^2 = (9/16)*(25 + x^2) ---> (7/16)x^2 = 225/16 ---> x^2 = 225/7 --->
x = 5.67 miles, as x must be positive.
Note that d/dx(dT/dx) = 25/(25 + x^2)^(3/2) > 0 for x = 5.67 so by the second
derivative test T is minimized at x = 5.67 miles.
the distance the woman will row is sqrt(5^2 + x^2), and the distance she
will walk is 8 - x. Since time = distance/speed, we want to minimize
T(x) = sqrt(25 + x^2)/3 + (8 - x)/4. To do this find dT/dx and set equal to 0:
dT/dx = (1/3)*(1/2)*(25 + x^2)^(-1/2) *(2x) - 1/4 = (x/3)*(25 + x^2)^(-1/2) - 1/4
which equals 0 when x = (3/4)*(25 + x^2)^(1/2). Square both sides to get
x^2 = (9/16)*(25 + x^2) ---> (7/16)x^2 = 225/16 ---> x^2 = 225/7 --->
x = 5.67 miles, as x must be positive.
Note that d/dx(dT/dx) = 25/(25 + x^2)^(3/2) > 0 for x = 5.67 so by the second
derivative test T is minimized at x = 5.67 miles.
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DRAW the 'picture ' ...O = boat , R = restaurant ,
| BP | = x , | PR | = 8 - x , | OP | = √ ( x² + 25 )...time = time on water + time on land
T = √ ( x² + 25 ) / 3 + [ 8 - x ] / 3...minimize T....this is a D = rt problem
| BP | = x , | PR | = 8 - x , | OP | = √ ( x² + 25 )...time = time on water + time on land
T = √ ( x² + 25 ) / 3 + [ 8 - x ] / 3...minimize T....this is a D = rt problem