Open Problem: Maximization

You have 100of fencing material. You are to design a rectangular enclosure for animals using this
material. The enclosure lies along the side of a building, so only three sides of the enclosure need to be
fenced. Sketch and label four different rectangular enclosures that each have a perimeter of 100. Find
the area of each enclosure. Record your designs in the table provided.

Dimensions Area

1) Which of your designs encloses the largest area?

PAIR SHARE

2) Turn to your partner. Did your partner come up with a design that encloses more area than any
of your designs?

3) Do you think that there is another possible design that would include even more area than your
maximum design?
SMALL GROUPS

4) Define a variable to represent either the length or width of the enclosure. Use the variable to
write an expression that gives the area of the enclosure.

5) Use the expression in #3 to create a function that gives the area in terms of the variable. What
can you say about the graph of this function?

6) How can you determine the maximum value of the function?

7) Find the maximum value of the function.

8) What does the maximum value of the function tell you about the design of the enclosure?

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION

9) How would you modify your design if the enclosure were not against a building, so that you had
to use the fence to enclose all four sides of the rectangle?