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Candidate code: hyc249 (004874 -0091)

Optimization using Integration

Using solid of revolution to measure volume of various dishes in school cafeteria and
optimize it in order to reduce food waste
Contents
Cover page...................................................................................................................................................1
Terminology................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Exploration..................................................................................................................................................3
Survey at school cafeteria.......................................................................................................................3
Modelling the bowl to find out its equation and volume........................................................................4
Optimization of the bowl.........................................................................................................................9
Limitations and Improvement...................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................12
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................12
Terminology:
Symmetrical: Made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis; showing
symmetry.
Beaker: A cylindrical glass container for lab use.
Dal: A watery dish that consists of lentils and split pulses.

Introduction:
Mathematics is an area of knowledge where logic and calculations are used to overcome
uncertainties that are present within a matter. It is a universal truth and its understanding depends
on how a person perceives it. Basically, mathematics is building blocks that exists both
artificially and naturally in this universe.
In IB Mathematics HL curriculum, we did Calculus as a core topic where we studied properties
and application of calculus. Calculus is a branch of mathematics which helps us understand
changes between values that are related by a function. Calculus, as complicated as it sounds, is
also based on various real-life applications from technological field to household reasonings.
Because of this diverse nature of calculus, I have taken it as a base theory for doing my IA.
I shall be using calculus, particularly integration, to apply its application in our school’s cafeteria
dishes. I have been constantly observing that people often take more food than they require and
end up wasting them. I think it is a matter be taken as a serious concern because it is morally and
environmentally very unethical. During one of my moment at cafeteria, I thought the application
of calculus that we learnt in class where we had used its application in regards to various
symmetrical dishes. We had learned to measure volume of various symmetrical dishes. By this
school can buy smaller bowl, or glass for that instance, minimize the waste.
I shall also be conducting survey at school to find out how much food people require for their
particular meal. Various mathematical model and graphs related to definitive integration and will
be used to calculate the value.
My IA shall be an illustration of how mathematics can serve to make our life simpler or in this
case how mathematics shall help us to protect environment-a burning issue of this generation.
We have been focusing on secondary matter to protect the environment but we have never really
given particular thoughts to primary matters such as one that I shall be discussing.

Exploration:
Survey at school cafeteria:
Conducting a survey at school’s cafeteria was the first procedure of my IA. A survey could help
me to find out all the variable details required for my IA. The details being, how much food
people require for their particular meal and how much food are they actually taking. To make
this process as precise and accurate as possible I decided to visit our school’s lab assistant sir. He
provided me with proper measuring beaker. He also introduced to me with some terms, upper
meniscus and lower meniscus, which could be helpful for my IA. This is a way of observing in
science, especially chemistry, which helps to determine volume of a substance as accurately as it
can get.
First, I decided to ask and measure the amount of food, particularly Dal, people take during their
lunch. I was not surprised by their answers. Everyone one them answered they take a bowl full of
Dal. The bowl is 185 ± 5 ml volume. But when asked, if they finish everything from that bowl,
they answered no. This is where the problem lies and this problem inspired me for doing this IA.
Then, I decided to measure the amount of Dal, people left over after their lunch. To make my IA
as error-free as possible, I took this survey from 10 different people for 10 different days. And
took an average measurement from them all.
The results are presented below.

Volume taken by the student(ml)

Day A B C D E F G H I J
1 173 166 171 166 175 170 164 176 176 166
2 172 169 167 172 166 170 172 169 169 168
3 170 165 171 176 163 169 170 175 169 172
4 172 162 161 167 169 167 167 165 164 171
5 168 170 171 170 170 171 171 177 170 166
6 171 168 171 169 172 171 168 174 165 167
7 169 170 170 173 170 173 172 170 171 173
8 174 173 165 173 165 172 161 169 174 170
9 171 176 168 167 177 167 171 171 169 170
10 170 167 168 170 164 170 166 165 170 169

The average volume of dal people (taken from the survey above) ≈ 170 ml
The volume of dal people waste (taken from the survey above) ≈ 20 ml
The volume of dal people actually require for their meal is ≈ (170 – 20) ml = 150 ml
Dimension of the bowl: Vertical Height= 4 cm
Horizontal Diameter= 10 cm

Modelling the bowl to find out its equation and volume:

Modelling the bowl and finding out its volume had been an engaging experience. I figured out
how it could be possible to turn the three-dimensional bowl into two dimensional in order to find
its equation and volume. This was possible using software called GeoGebra and few tracing
papers.
First, I took some pictures of the bowl from various sides. This process brought the bowl into a
two-dimensional image. The picture had to be taken accurately in order to align the two of the
bowl sides perfectly. This step shall help in finding the actual volume of the bowl. The image is
shown below.

Figure 1: Picture of the bowl (not to scale)

Then with the help of technology, particularly GeoGebra app, I plotted the image in the graph.
 Scale: 1 unit= 1.1765 cm

Figure 2: Picture of the bowl on a graph with scale

After putting the image in a plane, I used my mouse cursor to plot various points that lies on the
curve of the bowl. I recorded the coordinates of several points on the bowl for plotting the graph
for its representation.

Scale: 1 unit= 1.1765 cm

Figure 3: Graph of the curve of the bowl found using GeoGebra

The points that I acquired from the graph is presented below. These points determined the
equation of the curve of the bowl. The points are noted below.

Point X- Y-
s coordinate coordinate
 A -4.54 -3.94
B 8.73 -3.94
C 0.14 2.02
D 0.08 1.87
E 0.06 1.74
F 0.04 1.6
G 0.04 1.5
H 0.04 1.38
I 0.03 1.27
J 0.03 1.17
K 0.03 1.06
L 0.2 2.15
M 0.25 2.29
N 0.3 2.38
O 0.36 2.49
P 0.47 2.66
Q 0.56 2.71
R 0.65 2.81
S 0.76 2.92
T 0.9 2.99
U 1.02 3.07
V 1.18 3.15
W 1.31 3.17
Z 1.44 3.23
AA 1.61 3.29

Point A and B are the bottom two vertices of the picture in the graph. As we can see that the y-
coordinates of both coordinates are equal, so the measurement is very accurate.
All the following point excluding A and B are the points that lie on the curve of the bowl. Using
these points, the GeoGebra software itself determined the equation of the curve. The equation
that I obtained is:
¿ 3.58 x0.17

Using the Equation above we calculate the volume of the bowl. The volume for solid of
revolution for a curve is the volume of object determined by a curve f(x) rotated around the x-
axis on an interval (a, b) given by:

V =∫ π ( f ( x ) ) dx
2

Here ,
f ( x )=3.58 x0.17
a=0 , b=3.4
Now ,
3.4

∫
0
π ( 3.58 x0.17 ) 2 dx

Simplifying this,

3.4

∫
0
π 12.816 x0.34 dx
3.4

¿ π∗12.816 × ∫ x0.34 dx
0

3.4 0.34 +1
x
¿ π∗12.816
×∫ 1.34
0

¿ π∗12.816 ×
¿)

¿ 154.874 un
it3
Multiplying the value with the scale taken from graph (Scale: 1 unit= 1.1765 cm),
1.1765 × 154.874=182.20 unit3

The value we obtained above for the volume of the bowl using integration is approximately
similar to the actual value of the bowl we found using the beaker. This information is important
because in order to optimize the bowl, the graph and actual bowl should match.

From my survey, I have figured out that the average volume of Dal people require is
approximately 150 ml. So, I will have to optimize and minimize volume of the bowl in such a
way that the volume of the bowl reduces to 160 ml (because a space is required at top of the
bowl).
I am using an online graphing tool called Symbolab for this task. Using the equation, I had
obtained, I have graphed the current figure of the bowl. It can be seen below
 .

Figure 4: Outline of the original bowl on a graph

Optimization of the bowl
Now, I’ll have to continuously change the dimensions of the bowl in order to get the required
volume of the bowl that I am eyeing for. Thankfully, this tool can be used for calculating the
volume when dimensions are given.
I shall be trying for several numeric values to reach the required dimensions which will give
volume of 160 ml. Also, the physical facet of the bowl should be considered while completing
this task. Meaning, it should appear like a bowl while fulfilling the requirement of volume. For
this purpose, I shall be utilizing the knowledge of transformation that I acquired in IB
Mathematics. Vertical and horizontal stretch shall be useful.

Now,
160
=136 uni t
3
Reducing the Volume (160) to graphing scale:
1.1765
(Scale: 1 unit= 1.1765 cm),
(The result presented below was acquired after several hit and try attempts,)
Equation of the actual graph= 3.58 x0.17
 168
Using vertical stretch in the equation by scale factor [k = ],
179
f ( x )=k .3 .58 x0.17
168
¿ ×3.58 x0.17
179
¿ 3.36 x0.17

Volume of the bowl above:

b

V =∫ π ( f ( x ) ) dx
2

Here ,

f ( x )=3.36 x0.17
a=0 , b=3.4
Now ,
3.4

∫
0
π ( 3.36 x0.17 )2 dx

Simplifying this,

3.4

∫
0
π 11.2896 x0.34 dx
3.4

¿ π∗11.2896 × ∫ x0.34 dx
0

3.4 0.34+1
x
¿ π∗11.2896 1.34
×∫
0

¿ π∗11.2896 ×
¿)

¿ 136.428 unit3
Multiplying the value with the scale taken from graph (Scale: 1 unit= 1.1765 cm),
1.1765 ×136.428=160.5 un it3
 3.36 x0.17

Figure 5: Outline of the optimized bowl on a graph

Limitations and Improvement:

The work I conducted had a range of limitations which could not be avoided because of the
complicity in holds in the experiment. Meaning, the limitations were too minute or too composite
in order to completely avoid it in the experiment. The most notable one being the picture of the
bowl that was taken. The picture not being taken to the scale of the size of the bowl itself was an
issue. Though I have made my full effort, using the closest scale, to not connect this limitation to
other components of the experiment, this definitely has made significant impact on the
experiment. While graphing, the scale I have used (4 significant figure) has gone through many
mathematical operations. Mathematical operations have processed the value several times
leading to the value I achieved. Also, the program that I used to plot the graph of my bowl has
given me the equation to just 3 significant figures. This may not have made huge difference but it
sure has created a difference in the experiment. But I doubt the difference is too significant to be
highly concerned about.
Moreover, this experiment is obliged to have some extend of human error because I have used
ruler to measure the units such as height and length of the bowl. I have also used apparatus such
as beaker which is subject to some human error.
To improve the standard of my experiment, I should have used a tripod to take the picture of the
bowl from the distance as desired in order to be on scale with the actual bowl. However, doing
this required a lot of resources and the difference it can make would have had of little
significance in my experiment. I could have increased the number of the people I had taken the
survey from but 10 seemed to be a perfect number for my purpose.

Conclusion

The formulas involved with solid of revolution and integration are one of the most interesting
ones I have come across in my entire life and working with these formulas and seeing them do
the wonders of mathematics in order to benefit the mankind was even very touching to me. I
understand that my experiment is based on few assumptions and they might have affected the
expected results which I would have got otherwise but to avoid that I have conducted many trial
attempts which have minimized the expected errors.
I am also positively motivated after completing my Mathematics IA. I believe that my IA has
covered a very big issue of todays world and that is food waste. It is believed that 30% of the
wood that is produced in order to eat is wasted. I am personally motivated to continue with this
project further in my career and I know this IA is this first step in doing that. I am planning to
send this IA to a local bowl manufacturer and hopefully they will consider my report useful in
their manufacturing.

Bibliography
 Chang, Sarah. “Modelling the Surface Area of a Ceramic Pot .”
https://internalassessments.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/wm-sarah-changs-mathematical-
exploration.pdf.
 “Graphing Calculator.” GeoGebra, https://www.geogebra.org/graphing.
 “Symbolab Math Solver - Step by Step Calculator.” Symbolab Math Solver - Step by
Step Calculator, https://www.symbolab.com/.