Two isolated farms are situated 12 km apart on a straight country road that runs parallel to the main highway 20 km away. The power company decides to run a wire from the highway to the junction box, and from there, wires of equal length to the two houses. Where should the junction box be placed to minimize the length of wire needed?

Question

Two isolated farms are situated 12 km apart on a straight country road that runs parallel to the main highway 20 km away.  The power company decides to run a wire from the highway to the junction box, and from there, wires of equal length to the two houses.  Where should the junction box be placed to minimize the length of wire needed?

sidsiddhartha · Answer

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diagram should be like this