Can someone answer this while showing the working out for this question?

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1 Answer
Nov 6, 2017

The minimum cost is $420 when AB=15 m.

Explanation:

Let AB=DC=x meter.Then, AD=BC=525/x meter,
and the cost is
f(x)=11x + 3(x+2*525/x)
=14x+3150/x dollars. Needless to say, the domain is x>0.

Differenciate f(x). Note that d/dx(1/x)=d/dx(x^-1)=-x^-2=-1/x^2.

f'(x)=14-3150/x^2

Now solve f'(x)=0 to find the extrema.
14-3150/x^2=0
14x^2-3150=0
x^2-225=0
(x+15)(x-15)=0
x=-15,15

x is the length of AB and must be positive. So x=15.

And, when 0< x< 15, f(x) is decreasing because f'(x) <0. When 15< x, f(x) is increasing (f'(x)> 0).

Therefore, f(15) is the local (and global) minima and its value is f(15)=14*15+3150/15=420.

The minimum cost is 420 dollars.

graph{14x+3150/x [-3.15, 30, 400,500]}