Consider the following problem: Find two numbers whose sum is 23 and whose product is a maximum. (a) Make a table of values, like the following one, so that the sum of the numbers in the first two columns is always 23. On the basis of the evidence in your table, estimate the answer to the problem. (b) Use calculus to solve the problem and compare with your answer to part (a).
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Textbook Solutions for Calculus: Early Transcendentals
Question
The graph shows the fuel consumption of a car (measured in gallons per hour) as a function of the speed of the car. At very low speeds the engine runs inefficiently, so initially decreases as the speed increases. But at high speeds the fuel consumption increases. You can see that is minimized for this car when mih. However, for fuel efficiency, what must be minimized is not the consumption in gallons per hour but rather the fuel consumption in gallons per mile. Lets call this consumption . Using the graph, estimate the speed at which has its minimum value.
Solution
The first step in solving 4.7 problem number 66 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: The graph shows the fuel consumption of a car (measured in gallons per hour) as a function of the speed of the car. At very low speeds the engine runs inefficiently, so initially decreases as the speed increases. But at high speeds the fuel consumption increases. You can see that is minimized for this car when mih. However, for fuel efficiency, what must be minimized is not the consumption in gallons per hour but rather the fuel consumption in gallons per mile. Lets call this consumption . Using the graph, estimate the speed at which has its minimum value.
From the textbook chapter Optimization Problems you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.
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