Module B: Linear Programming answers

1) For the two constraints given below, which point is in the feasible region of this
maximization problem? (1) 14x + 6y < 42 (2) x - y < 3
A. x = 2, y = 1
B. x = 1, y = 5
C. x = -1, y = 1
D. x = 4, y = 4
E. x = 2, y = 8
Answer: A

2) What combination of x and y will yield the optimum for this problem?
Maximize $3x + $15y, subject to (1) 2x + 4y < 12 and (2) 5x + 2y < 10.
A. x = 2, y = 0
B. x = 0, y = 3
C. x = 0, y = 0
D. x = 1, y = 5
E. none of the above
Answer: B

3) A shadow price (or dual value) reflects which of the following in a maximization
problem?
A. the marginal gain in the objective realized by subtracting one unit of a resource
B. the market price that must be paid to obtain additional resources
C. the increase in profit that would accompany one added unit of a scarce resource
D. the reduction in cost that would accompany a one unit decrease in the resource
E. none of the above
Answer: C

4) The objective of a linear programming problem is to maximize 1.50A + 1.50B, subject

to 3A + 2B ≤ 600, 2A + 4B ≤ 600, and 1A + 3B ≤ 420. Plot the constraints on the grid
below. What is the optimal product mix for this problem?
A. A= 150, B = 75
B. A = 75, B = 150
C. A= 0, B = 140
D. A = 420, B = 0
E. A = 200, B = 0

Answer: The objective of the problem is to maximize 1.50A + 1.50B,

The constraints are 3A + 2B ≤ 600, 2A + 4B ≤ 600, and 1A + 3B ≤ 420. The plot
and feasible region appear in the graph below. The corner points are (0, 0),
(200, 0), (0, 140), and (150, 75). The first three points can be read from the
graph axes. The last corner point is the intersection of the equality 2A + 4B =
600 and 3A + 2B = 600. Multiply the first equality by ½ and subtract from the
second, leaving 2A = 300 or A = 150. Substituting A = 150 in either equality
yields B = 75, which is the optimal product mix for 337.50.
5) A linear programming problem has two constraints 2X + 4Y ≥ 100 and 1X + 8Y ≤ 100.
Which of the following statements about its feasible region is true?
A. There are four corner points including (50, 0) and (0, 12.5).
B. The two corner points are (0, 0) and (50, 12.5).
C. The graphical origin (0, 0) is in the feasible region.
D. The feasible region is triangular in shape, bounded by (50, 0), (33-1/3, 8-1/3),
and (100, 0).
E. The feasible region cannot be determined without knowing whether the problem
is to be minimized or maximized.
Answer: D

6) Sensitivity analysis helps to

A. see the value of increased scarce resources
B. determine even better solutions
C. see the impact of parameter changes (such as changes in RHS values and
changes to objective function coefficients)
D. A and C
E. A, B, and C
Answer: D

7) Suppose that the shadow price for assembly time is $5/hour. If all assembly hours
were used under the initial LP solution and workers normally make $4/hour but can work
overtime for $6/hour what should management do?
A. Nothing, the optimal solution is present.
B. decrease available hours for assembly time
 C. increase available hours for assembly time
D. not enough information
E. Either A or C will result in larger profits than B.
Answer: A

8) A chemical company has a standing order for 100-barrels fertilizer each month.
There are two different formulas that meet the customer’s specifications and the
customer cannot tell the difference. However, you must deal with the following
conditions.

1) There are enough raw materials to produce only 55 barrels of formula B each
month.
2) Each barrel of formula A requires 2 tons of raw fish while each barrel of formula
B requires only 1 ton of raw fish.
3) 180 tons of fish are available each month.
4) The company makes a profit of $7 a barrel on Formula A and $2 a barrel on
formula B.

If the company chooses the optimal product mix what will their profits be each month
from this standing order??

A. $600
B. $547.50
C. $425
D. $950
E. $847.50

Answer:
 Corner Points
X1 X2 Z
45 55 425
80 20 600
62.5 55 547.5

9) Consider the following linear programming problem.

Maximize 4X1 + 5X2

Subject to:
2X1 + X2 ≤ 20
X1 + X2 ≥ 5
X1 ≥ 4
X2 ≤ 10
X1, X2 ≥ 0

What is the optimal solution for this problem?

A. X1= 10, X2 = 0
B. X1= 5, X2 = 0
C. X1= 5, X2 = 10
D. X1= 4, X2 = 1
E. X1= 0, X2 = 20
Answer: C
10) Which of the following represents valid constraints in linear programming?
A. 2X ≥ 7X*Y
B. 2X * 7Y ≥ 500
C. 2X + 7Y ≥100
D. 2X2 + 7Y ≥ 50
E. All of the above are valid linear programming constraints.
Answer: C

11 & 12) BestCoffee is a coffee store in Gainesville. Its famous for its special coffee
blend in 60-pound bags. The blend is a mix of two coffees, A and B. To get the unique
taste at least 40% of the blend must be coffee A. To maintain quality standards,
BestCoffee needs to have an average aroma rating of at least 1.65. Coffee A, which
costs BestCoffee 1.80$ per pound, has an aroma rating of 2. Coffee B only has rating
1.2, but is available at a cost of $.60 per pound.

11) Determine the best mix of coffees A and B to achieve the above blending goals,
while keeping the cost as low as possible?
 A. Coffee A: 0, Coffee B: 60
B. Coffee A: 33.75, Coffee B: 26.25
C. Coffee A: 24, Coffee B: 36
D. Coffee A: 36, Coffee B: 24
E. Coffee A: 26.75, Coffee B: 33.75
Answer: B

12) New quality standards are released and the now the required average aroma rating
is updated to at least 1.2. Determine the new best mix of coffees A and B to achieve the
blending goals, while keeping the cost as low as possible.
 A. Coffee A: 60, Coffee B: 0
B. Coffee A: 33.75, Coffee B: 26.25
C. Coffee A: 24, Coffee B: 36
D. Coffee A: 36, Coffee B: 24
E. Coffee A: 26.75, Coffee B: 33.75
Answer: C

13) Dr. G’s Tooth Products manufactures two products: amalgam and composite. Both
are used in dentistry. The factory where these products are manufactured must produce
at least 50 tons of product each month to keep its union workers happy. Additionally, the
25 tons of amalgam must be produced and 17 tons of composite must be produced to
satisfy public dental care requirements. The cost structure of the factory is $2300 for
each ton of amalgam produced and $2900 for each ton of composite produced.
Minimize the costs of the factory’s production.

The minimum total cost of production with the above constraints is:
A. $130,000
B. $125,200
 C. $127,000
D. $123,400
E. $125,600
Answer: B

14) Which of the following correctly describes all iso-profit lines for an LP maximization
problem?

A. They all pass through the origin

B. They are all parallel.
C. They all pass through the point of maximum profit.
D. Each line passes through at least 2 corners.
E. All of the above
Answer: B

15-16) A real estate developer is planning to build an office complex. Currently, there
are three office sizes under consideration: small, medium, and large. Small offices can
be rented for $600 per month, medium offices can be rented for $750 per month, and
large offices can be rented for $1000 per month. Each small office requires 600 square
feet, each medium office requires 800 square feet, and each large office requires 1000
square feet. The current plot of land available to the developer is 100,000 square feet.
The developer wants to ensure that the office complex has at least 3 units of each office
size. Moreover, zoning restrictions limit the total number of offices to 50.

Use the Sensitivity Report to answer the following questions:

15) Suppose that the square footage available to the developer increases to 110,000
square feet. What impact would this have on the optimal objective function value?

A. This increase would have no impact on the objective function value.

B. This increase would have increase the objective function value by up to $51,800
 C. This increase would have increase the objective function value by up to up to
$9,600 (the value of 16 more small offices)
D. This increase would have increase the objective function value by up to up to
$9,000 (the value of 12 more medium offices)
E. None of the above
Answer: A

This increase would have no impact on the objective function value. Note that
this constraint is not binding and has a shadow price of zero.

16) Suppose that the minimal number of small offices that the developer needs to build
must be at least 5 offices. What impact would this have on the optimal objective function
value?

A. increase by $400
B. increase by $800
C. decrease by $400
D. decrease by $800
E. None of the above
Answer: D

The shadow price associated with this constraint is $-400 and the increase is
within the allowable range. Therefore, the current optimal objective function
value will decrease by $800 to $47,250.

17-19) (Detach this page, write your name and Student ID and turn it in with your
scantron to the proctor)

A computer retail store sells two types of Tablets: (Type A) and (Type B), with a profit
contribution of $300 and $250, respectively. The Tablets are ordered each week from
outside suppliers. As an added feature, the retail store installs on each Tablet a privacy
filter that narrows the viewing angle so that only persons sitting directly in front of the
tablet are able to see on-screen data. Each Type A tablet consumes about 10 minutes
of installation time, while each Type B Tablet requires about 5 minutes of installation
time. The retail store has approximately 10 hours of labor time available each week for
the installation. The total combined demand for both tablets is at least 60 tablets each
week. How many units of each monitor should the retail store order each week to
maximize its weekly profits and meet its weekly demand?
17) Draw the feasible region on the graph above using the x-axis for Type A and the Y
axis for Type B tablets. (1pts)

18) List all Corner Points (1pt total divided among each point equally)

19) Determine the value of the objective function at the optimal solution (1pt)
20) Which of the following combinations of constraints has no feasible region?
 A. X + Y > 15 and X — Y < 10
B. X + Y > 5 and X > 10
C. X > 10 and Y > 20
D. X + Y > 100 and X + Y < 50
E. All of the above have a feasible region.
Answer: D

21) A linear programming problem contains a restriction that reads "the quantity of X
must be at least three times as large as the quantity of Y." Which of the following
inequalities is the proper formulation of this constraint?
A. 3X ≥ Y
B. X ≤ 3Y
C. X + Y≥3
D. X - 3Y ≥ 0
E. 3X ≤ Y
Answer: D

22-23) Tom is a habitual shopper at garage sales. Last Saturday he stopped at one
where there were several types of used building materials for sale. At the low prices
being asked, Tom knew that he could resell the items in another town for a substantial
gain. Four things stood in his way: he could only make one round trip to resell the goods;
his pickup truck bed would hold only 1000 pounds; the pickup truck bed could hold at
most 70 cubic feet of merchandise; and he had only $200 cash with him. He wants to
load his truck with the mix of materials that will yield the greatest profit when he resells
them. DO NOT SOLVE

Cubic feet per Weight per

Item unit Price per unit unit Can resell for
2 x 4 studs 1 $0.10 5 pounds $0.80
4 x 8 plywood 3 $0.50 20 pounds $3.00
Concrete blocks 0.5 $0.25 10 pounds $0.75

This program has been solved in EXCEL and the following sensitivity report is provided
to answers questions 22-23.
22) According to the sensitivity report above how much more money could Tom make if
he had an extra $50 with him?

A. $0
B. $25
C. $175
D. $1095
E. None of the above
Answer: A

23) If Tom buys the optimal amount of each product how much money will he profit after
he sells the material in the next town?

A. $0
B. $90
C. $65
D. $1095
E. None of the above
Answer: C

24) John's Locomotive Works manufactures a model locomotive. It comes in two

versions--a standard (X1), and a deluxe (X2). The standard version generates $250 per
locomotive for the standard version, and $350 per locomotive for the deluxe version.
One constraint on John's production is labor hours. He only has 40 hours per week for
assembly. The standard version requires 150 minutes each, while the deluxe requires
200 minutes. John's milling machine is also a limitation. There are only 20 hours a
week available for the milling machine. The standard unit requires 60 minutes, while the
deluxe requires 120. Formulate as a linear programming problem, and determine the
value of the objective function at the optimal solution.

A. $4,200
B. $4,000
C. $3,500
D. $4,100
E. None of the above
Answer: D

Corner Points
X1 X2 Z
0 0 0
16 0 4,000.
0 10 3,500.
8 6 4,100.
25) A primary advantage of decision trees compared to decision tables is that decision
trees
A. are more accurate
B. are faster
C. are smaller
D. are cheaper
E. can be used for sequential problems
Answer: E

26) For the constraints given below, which point is in the feasible region of this
maximization problem?

(1) 14x + 6y < 42

(2) x - y < 3
(3) x, y ≥ 0

A. x = 2, y = 1
B. x = 1, y = 5
C. x = -1, y = 1
D. x = 4, y = 4
E. x = 2, y = 8
Answer: A

27) A manager must decide on the mix of products to produce for the coming week.
Product A requires three minutes per unit for molding, two minutes per unit for painting,
and one minute for packing. Product B requires two minutes per unit for molding, four
minutes for painting, and three minutes per unit for packing. There will be 600 minutes
available for molding, 600 minutes for painting, and 420 minutes for packing. Both
products have contributions of $1.50 per unit. What is the value of the objective function
if the optimal product mix is chosen?

CP (0, 0), (200, 0), (0, 140), and (150, 75) max vaule (337.50).

A. 200
B. 300
C. 337.50
D. 355.50
E. None of the above

28) What is not a requirement of a linear programming problem?

A. Objective function
B. States of nature
C. Constraints
D. Alternative feasible solutions
E. Linearity
Answer: B, pg. 691
29) One manufacturer of Sephora makeup products specializes in producing lipsticks
and eyeliners. The lipsticks take 2 hours in the molding department, followed by an hour
in the assembly department. The eyeliners take 3 hours in the molding department,
followed by 2 hours in the assembly department. There are 400 hours of molding
department time and 200 hours of assembly department time available in the current
production period. A lipstick provides $5 in profit while an eyeliner gains $3 in profit.
Which of the following is an accurate constraint (where L stands for lipstick and E stands
for eyeliner)?

A. 2L + 3E <= 400
B. 2L + 3E >= 400
C. 1L + 3 E ≤ 200
D. 1L + 3E ≤ 400
E. None of the Above
Answer: A, pg. 692

30) A shadow price

A. Is the improvement in the constraint value that results in a one-unit increase

B. Is unadjusted when current corner points move outside of the Allowable Increase
or Decrease range
C. Does not affect the objective function value
D. Is the value of one additional unit of a scarce resource
Answer: D, pg. 698

31) A furniture store produces beds and desks for college students. The production
process requires assembly and painting. Each bed requires 6 hours of assembly and 4
hours of painting. Each desk requires 4 hours of assembly and 8 hours of painting.
There are 40 hours of assembly time and 45 hours of painting time available each week.
Each bed generates $35 of profit and each desk generates $45 of profit. As a result of a
labor strike, the furniture store is limited to producing at most 8 beds each week. Plot
the constraints below and clearly show the feasible region and determine the optimal
solution. What is the value of the optimal solution rounded to the nearest Whole
Numbers?
Answer:

32) The corner-point solution method requires:

A. identifying the corner of the feasible region that has the sharpest angle.
B. moving the iso-profit line to the highest level that still touches some part of the
feasible region.
C. moving the iso-profit line to the lowest level that still touches some part of the
feasible region.
D. finding the coordinates at each corner of the feasible solution space.
E. none of the above
Answer: D

33) Which of the following sets of constraints results in an unbounded feasible region?
A. X + Y ≥ 100 and X + Y ≤ 50
B. X + Y ≥ 15 and X - Y ≤ 10
C. X + Y ≤ 10 and X ≥ 5
D. X ≤ 10 and Y ≤ 20
 E. All of the above have a bounded maximum.
Answer: B

34) A company makes two products, X1 and X2. They require at least 20 of each be
produced. Which set of lower bound constraints reflect this requirement?

A. X1 ≥ 20, X2 ≥ 20 **
B. X1 + X2 ≥ 20
C. X1 + X2 ≥ 40
D. X1 ≥ 20, X2 ≥ 20, X1 + X2 ≤ 40
E. None of the other solutions accurate reflect the constraint

Ans: A

35) Which of the following is not a requirement in order to successfully complete a linear
program?

A. A constraint
B. An objective function
C. Alternative states to choose from
D. An equation for profit **

ANS: D, Mod. B- slide 6

36) Staples sells paper. Cost per case, including shipping and handling, is $100.
Revenue per case is $200. Any cases unsold will be discounted and sold at $50. The
bookstore has estimated that demand will follow the pattern below. How many cases
should the bookstore stock in order to maximize profit?

Demand level Probability

10 cases 50 percent
11 cases 20 percent
12 cases 10 percent
13 cases 10 percent
14 cases 10 percent

A. 10 cases
B. 11 cases **
C. 12 cases
 D. 13 cases
E. 14 cases

Ans: B

37) A linear programming problem contains a restriction that reads "the quantity of X
must be at least twice as large as the quantity of Y." Which of the following inequalities
correctly represents the constraint?

A. X - 2Y > 0 **
B. 2X - Y > 0
C. X+Y>2
D. X + 2Y > 0
E. None of the other choices correctly represents the inequality

ANS: A, X ≥ 2Y; alternatively X - 2Y ≥ 0

38) Jones Furniture Company produces beds and desks for college students. The
production process requires carpentry and varnishing. Each bed requires 6 hours of
carpentry and 4 hour of varnishing. Each desk requires 4 hours of carpentry and 8 hours
of varnishing. There are 36 hours of carpentry time and 40 hours of varnishing time
available. Beds generate $30 of profit and desks generate $40 of profit. Demand for
desks is limited so at most 8 will be produced. If the goal is to maximize profits what is
the value of the objective function at the optimal solution?

A. $240 **
B. $260
C. $180
D. $200
E. None of these answers are within $1 of the correct answer
Ans: A

Let X1 = Number of Beds to produce

X2 = Number of Desks to produce

MAX: 30 X1 + 40 X2
Subject to: 6 X1 + 4 X2 ≤ 36 (carpentry)
4 X1 + 8 X2 ≤ 40 (varnishing) X2 ≤ 8 (demand for X2)
X1, X2 ≥ 0

Obj = 240 X1 = 4 X2 =3

39) A farmer is planning his spring planting. He wants to maximize his profit but there is
a limited demand for each crop. Each crop also requires fertilizer and irrigation water,
which are in short supply. The following table summarizes the data for the problem.

Profit per Yield per Maximum Irrigation Fertilizer

Crop Acre ($) Acre (lb) Demand (lb) (acre ft) (pounds/acre)
Corn 2,100 21,000 200,000 2 500
Pumpkin 900 10,000 180,000 3 400
Beans 1,050 3,500 80,000 1 300

According to the sensitivity report below which of the constraints are binding?

Changing Cells
Final Reduced Objective Allowable Allowable
Cell Name Value Cost Coefficient Increase Decrease
$B$4 Acres of Corn 9.52 0 2100 1E+30 350
$C$4 Acres of Pumpkin 0 −500.01 899.99 500.01 1E+30
$D$4 Acres of Beans 10.79 0 1050 210 375.00

Constraints
Final Shadow Constraint Allowable Allowable
Cell Name Value Price R.H. Side Increase Decrease
$E$8 Corn demand Used 200000 0.017 200000 136000 152000
 $E$9 Pumpkin demand Used 0 0 180000 1E+30 180000
$E$10 Bean demand Used 37777.78 0 80000 1E+30 42222.22
$E$11 Water Used 29.84 0 50 1E+30 20.15
$E$12 Fertilizer Used 8000 3.5 8000 3619.04 3238.09

A. Acres of Corn and Acres of Beans

B. Only Acres of Pumpkn
C. Pumpkin Demand only
D. All constraints except Pumpkin demand
E. Corn Demand and Fertilize Used **

Ans: E

40) Consider the following linear programming model:

Max X1 + X2
Subject to:
X1 + X2 ≤ 2
X1 ≥ 1
X2 ≥ 3
X1, X2 ≥ 0

This linear programming model has

A. Alternate optimal solution

B. Unbounded solution
C. Infeasible solution
D. Unique solution

ANS: C

41) Which of the following is not a requirement in order to successfully complete a linear
program?
A. A constraint
B. An objective function
C. Alternative states to choose from
D. An equation for either profit or cost

ANS: D, Mod. B- slide 6

42) Staples sells paper. Cost per case, including shipping and handling, is $100.
Revenue per case is $200. Any cases unsold will be discounted and sold at $50. The
bookstore has estimated that demand will follow the pattern below. How many cases
should the bookstore stock in order to maximize profit?

Demand level Probability

10 cases 50 percent
11 cases 20 percent
12 cases 10 percent
13 cases 10 percent
14 cases 10 percent

A. 10 cases
B. 11 cases
C. 12 cases
D. 13 cases
E. 14 cases

ANS: B

43) A linear programming problem contains a restriction that reads "the quantity of X
must be at least twice as large as the quantity of Y." Which of the following inequalities
correctly represents the constraint?

A. X - 2Y > 0
B. 2X - Y > 0
C. X+Y>2
D. X + 2Y > 0
E. None of the other choices correctly represents the inequality

ANS: A, X ≥ 2Y; alternatively X - 2Y ≥ 0

44) The Queen City Nursery manufactures bags of potting soil from compost and topsoil.
Each cubic foot of compost costs 12 cents and contains 4 pounds of sand, 3 pounds of
clay, and 5 pounds of humus. Each cubic foot of topsoil costs 20 cents and contains 3
pounds of sand, 6 pounds of clay, and 12 pounds of humus. Each bag of potting soil
must contain at least 12 pounds of sand, at least 12 pounds of clay, and at least 10
pounds of humus. Formulate the problem as a linear program. Plot the constraints and
identify the feasible region. Graphically or with corner points find the best combination of
compost and topsoil that meets the stated conditions at the lowest cost per bag. Identify
the lowest cost possible cost per bag that meets all other constraints (round to the
nearest cent).

A. $0.80
B. $0.52
C. $0.48
D. $0.45
E. None of these answers are within $0.01 of the correct answer

ANS: D, Let C = cubic feet of compost used per bag of potting soil
Let T = cubic feet of topsoil used per bag of potting soil
45) The feasible region in the diagram below is consistent with which one of the
following constraints?
 A. 8X1 + 4X2 ≤ 160
B. 8X1 + 4X2 ≥ 160
C. 4X1 + 8X2 ≤ 160
D. 8X1 - 4X2 ≤ 160
E. 4X1 - 8X2 ≤ 160

ANS: B

46) A firm makes two products, Y and Z. Each unit of Y costs $10 and sells for $40.
Each unit of Z costs $5 and sells for $25. If the firm's goal were to maximize profit, what
would be the appropriate objective function?

A. Maximize profit = $40Y = $25Z

B. Maximize profit = $40Y + $25Z
C. Maximize profit = $30Y + $20Z
D. Maximize profit = 0.25Y + 0.20Z
E. Maximize profit = $50(Y + Z)

ANS: C
47) A firm makes two products, Y and Z. Each unit of Y costs $10 and sells for $40. Each unit
of Z costs $5 and sells for $25. If the firm's goal were to maximize profit, what would be the
appropriate objective function?

A) Maximize profit = $40Y = $25Z

B) Maximize profit = $40Y + $25Z
C) Maximize profit = $30Y + $20Z
D) Maximize profit = 0.25Y + 0.20Z
E) Maximize profit = $50(Y + Z)

Answer: C
40-10=30
25-5=20

48) In a linear programming formulation, a statement such as "maximize contribution"

becomes a(n):

A) constraint.
B) slack variable.
C) objective function.
D) violation of linearity.
E) decision variable.

Answer: C

49) Rienzi Farms grows sugar cane and soybeans on its 500 acres of land. An acre of
soybeans brings a $1000 contribution to overhead and profit; an acre of sugar cane has a
contribution of $2000. Because of a government program no more than 200 acres may be
planted in soybeans. During the planting season 1200 hours of planting time will be
available. Each acre of soybeans requires 2 hours, while each acre of sugar cane requires
5 hours. The company seeks maximum contribution (profit) from its planting decision.
What is the contribution at the optimal solution?
 A) $0
B) $200,000
C) $450,000
D) $520,000
E) None of the other answers are correct.

ANS D

Answer: Let X1 = number of acres of soybeans to plant

Let X1 = number of acres of sugar cane to plant

Maximize profit = 1000X1 + 2000X2

Subject to
X1 ≤ 200
2X1 + 5X2 ≤ 1200
X1 + X2 ≤ 500
X1, X2 ≥ 0

The optimal solution is 200 acres in soybeans and 160 acres in sugar cane. There's not
enough labor to plant all 500 acres when 200 acres are in soybeans.

Corner Points
X1 X2 Z
0 0 0.
200 0 200,000.
0 240 480,000.
200 160 520,000.