2 Unit and 3 Unit Maths Year 11 and 12 Maxima / Minima problems

1. The sum of the radii of two circles is 100 cm. If one circle has a radius of x cm, then
(a) show the sum of areas of the two circles is A = 2π (x2 - 100x + 5000)

(b) Find the value of x for which the sum of areas is the least.

2. What are the dimensions of a cylindrical can of its greatest volume if the can is made from 150π
cm2 of sheet aluminium?

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 2 Unit and 3 Unit Maths Year 11 and 12 Maxima / Minima problems
3. An open tank is to be constructed with a square base of side x metres and with four rectangular
sides. The tank is to have a capacity of 32 cubic metres.
(a) determine an expression for the height (h) in terms of x

(b) Find the least area of sheet metal from which the tank can be constructed.

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4. The cost per hour of running John’s Pleasure Cruiser is $ ( V + 10) where V is speed in knots.
40
V2
(a) for a trip of D nautical miles, show the total cost (in $) to be C = D ( 40 + 10)
V

(b) What is the most economic speed (knots = nautical miles per hour) for running the cruiser on
this trip?

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 2 Unit and 3 Unit Maths Year 11 and 12 Maxima / Minima problems
5. A rectangular crate is required to have a volume of 24 cubic metres and its length to be double
its width. Also it is to be strengthed by a strip of abgle iron running along all its edges. Find the
dimensions of the crate if the total length of the angle iron is to a minimum.

6. A piece if wire 10cm long is cut into 2 pieces. One piece is bent to form a circle and the other is
bent to form a square. (a). What is the circumference of the circle if the sum of the areas is to
be a minimum. Leave your answer in terms of pi (π).

(b) What are the maximum areas (when all the wire is used either as a circle or a square.)

(c) What is the minimum area?

(d) Graph the Sum of Areas vs Length of wire

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 2 Unit and 3 Unit Maths Year 11 and 12 Maxima / Minima problems

Answers to Maxima/Minima questions:

1. Area = πr2 and radii are x and 100 - x.
Obviously half way x = 50cm but prove it dA/dx = 4πx - 200π and SP is when = 0 then x = 50
d2A/dx2 = 4π > 0 so is a minimum

75 - r 2
2. Area = 150π = 2πr2 + 2πrh therefore h =
r
Max Vol = πr2h and substitute h then differentiate so that dV/dr = 75π - 3πr2 = 0
Thus r = 5 and h = 10. d2V/dr2 = – 6πr which < 0 so is a maximum SP.

3. a) h = 322 (b) Area = x2 + 4xh sub in h then dA/dx = 2x - 128 x-2 = 0. d2A/dx2 > 0
x
so x = 4 and h = 2m So area = 48 m2

4. a) speed = dis / time, therefore t = D/V and cost per hour x time = total cost = cost per hr x D/V.
b) C = D( V + 10 ) and Cost per nautical mile c = V/40 + 10V-1 so dc/dV = 1/40 – 10 V-2
40 V
As d2c/dV2 = 20V-3 > 0, so is a minimum when dc/dV = 0 and V = 20 knots

5. Vol = 24 = 2w w h so h = 12/w2 and length of iron L = 4(h + w + 2w). Sub in h and

dL/dw = -96w-2 + 12w which when = 0 and d2L/dw2 = 288 w-4 which is > 0, so is a minimum.
so width = 2, length = 4 and height = 3 m.

6. L = 10cm = 2πr + 4s where s = length of each side of square, so s = 2½ - ½ π r

Total area = pr2 + s2. Sub for s and A = πr2 + (2.5 - πr/2)2 dA/dr = 0 at SP and d2A/dr2 > 0 Min
dA/dr = 2πr - 2.5π + ½π2r = 0 so r = 5 and circumference = 10π
4+π 4+π

(b) Max area when s = 10 ÷ 4 so area = (2½)2 = 6¼ m2.

Max area when r = 10/2π so area = π (10/2π)2 = 25/π = 7.96 m2.

10π
(c) when circumference = 4 + π = 4.40 and r = 0.7 m
so square perimeter is 5.6m and each side is (10 - 4.4) /4 = 1.40 m
thus when sum of areas is a minimum, the area of circle is πr2 = π 0.72 = 1.54 m2 and
area of square is s2 = 1.4 2 = 1.96
3.50 m2
All Square
7.96 m 2

All Circle
6.25 m 2

Area

3.50 m2

0 4.4 10 m
part of wire that is circumference of circle

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