Please, Please, please help me! You have 800 feet of fencing and you want to make two fenced in enclosures by splitting one enclosure in half. What are the largest dimensions of this enclosure that you could build?

Question

debbieg · Answer

Draw a picture, using W for the width and L for the length. Then you'll be able to set up two equations.

One is SORT OF perimeter (but not quite, because of the split down the middle.

The other is area, but use the perimeter formula to get area in just ONE variable.

Then that area formula will be a quadratic function, which is always maximized or minimized (in this case it will have a maximum) at the vertex.

debbieg · Answer

|dw:1377645627386:dw|

bruno102 · Answer

250x150...that might be totally wrong its just a guess

debbieg · Answer

You aren't supposed to guess. You are supposed to write an equation, and find where it is maximized.

bruno102 · Answer

I did and that is what I got! I said I might have done it wrong because I don't know how to do it and that is why i am here!

debbieg · Answer

Look at the fencing. How much do you need?

You need 2L + 3W  right?

How much do you have?

Set them equal. There's one equation.

bruno102 · Answer

I did the math and I believe it is 133 x 200