Optimisation Problems 4

(1) An oil rig, S, is 3 km offshore. A power station, P, is on the shore. A cable is to be laid from
P to S. It costs $1000 per kilometre to lay the cable along the shore and $2600 per kilometre
to lay the cable underwater from the shore to S.
The point R is the point on the shore closest to S, and the distance PR is 5 km. The point Q
is on the shore, at a distance of x km from R, as shown in the diagram.

3 km

P Q x km R Shore Line

5 km

(a) Find the total cost of laying the cable in a straight line from P to R and then in a straight line
from R to S.
(b) Find the cost of laying the cable in a straight line from P to S.
(c) Let $C be the total cost of laying the cable in a straight line from P to Q, and then in a


straight line from Q to S. Show that C  1000 5  x  2 6 x 2  9 
(d) Find the minimum cost of laying the cable.
(e) New technology means that the cost of laying the cable underwater can be reduced to $1100
per kilometre.
Determine the path for laying the cable in order to minimise the cost in this case.

(2) A circular stained glass window of radius 5 metres requires metal strips for support along
AB, DC and FG. O is the centre of the window.

F x
A B

D G C

(a) Copy the diagram and information onto your answer sheet.
(b) If OF  OG  y metres and FB  x metres, find an expression for y in terms of x.
(c) The total length of the strips of metal used for support (i.e. AB  DC  GF ) is L
metres. Show that L  4x  2 5  x 2 .
(d) The window will have maximum strength when the length of the supports is a
maximum. Show that when FB = 2 metres, the window will have maximum strength.
(3) Two straight roads meet at R at an angle of 60°.
At time t = 0 car A leaves R on one road, and car B is 100 km from R on the road.
Car A travels away from R at a speed of 80 km/h, and car B travels towards R at a speed of
50 km/h.

The distance between the cars at time t hours is r km.

(i) Show that r2 = 12 900t2 – 18000t + 10 000.

(ii) Find the minimum distance between the cars.

(4) Find the minimum distance from the parabola y  x 2 to the point (5, 0).
Express the answer to the nearest hundredth.

NB If needed, you may assume that the real solution to the equation 2x3 + x – 5 = 0 is
x  1.2348

Solutions
1. (a) PR = 5 km
Cost for PR = 5  $1000 = $5 000
SR = 3 km
Cost for SR = 3  $2600 = $7 800
Total cost = $12 800

(b) By Pythagoras’ Theorem, PS = 32  52  34

Cost = 34  $2600 $15 160

(c) PQ = 5 – x
Cost for PQ = (5 – x)  $1000
SQ  x 2  9
Cost for SQ = x 2  9  $2600
∴C = (5 – x)1000 + 2600 x 2  9
∴C = 1000(5 – x + 2·6 x 2  9 )

(d) 
C  1000 5  x  2 6 x 2  9 
 1

1
 
dC 
 1000  1 2 6  x 2  9 2
 2x 
dx  2 
 2 6x 
 1000  1 
 x2  9 

dC
Minimum C when 0
dx
 2 6x 
1000  1  0
 x2  9 
2 6x
 1
x2  9
2 6x  x 2  9
6 76x 2  x 2  9
576x 2  9
9
 x2 
576
5
x  , x  0
4
x 1 1 25 2
dC
177 8 0 442 88
dx
So C is a minimum when x = 1·25
∴Cmin = $12 200.
1. (v) 
If the underwater cost is reduced then C  1000 5  x  11 x 2  9 
 1

1
 
dC 
 1000  1 11 x 2  9 2
 2x 
dx  2 
 11x 
 1000  1 
 x2  9 
dC
Minimum C when 0
dx

But 0 ≤ x ≤ 5, so to find the minimum value of C test the end points.

x = 0: C = $8 300
x = 5: C = $6 414

So the minimum cost is now when the cable is laid directly from P to S.
2. (a)
F x
A B
y

O
y

D G C

(b) x 2  y 2  5 by Pythagoras’ Theorem.

 y  5  x 2 as y ≥ 0.

(c) L  AB  DC  GF
 2x  2x  2 y
 4x  2 5  x 2
1
(d) L  4x  2 5  x 2   2

1
1
    2x 
dL 
 4   2 5  x2 2
dx 2
1

 

 4  2x 5  x 2 2

 1 3
 1
d2L
  
  2x    5  x 2    2
 
2
 2x   5  x 2 2 2
dx  2 
3 1

   
 
 2x 2 5  x 2 2
 2 5  x2 2

    5  x  

 2 5  x 2 2  x2 2

3

 

 10 5  x 2 2

dL
Maximum L occurs when 0
dx
1

 

4  2x 5  x 2 2
0
2x x
4 2
5 x 2
5  x2
x2
 4
5  x2

 x2  4 5  x2 
5x 2  20
 x2  4
x  2  x  0
2. (d) continued
3
d2L
 

2
 10 5  x 2 2
dx
0  5x 5 
So L is a maximum when x = 2.
i.e. if FB = 2, the window has maximum strength.

3. (i) Car A travels at 80 km/h for t hours

 AR = 80t

Car B travels at 50 km/h for t hours

 BR = 100 – 50t

By the cosine rule in ABR:

AB 2  AR 2  BR 2  2 AR.BRcos60
r 2  80t   100  50t   2 80t  100  50t   12 
2 2

 6 400  10000  10000t  2500t 2  8000t  4000t 2

 12900t 2  18000t  10000 as required

(ii) Method 1: Preferred

The minimum distance occurs at the vertex of this parabolic function
18000 30
i.e. when t  
2 12900 43 
Then
2
 30   30 
r  12900    18000    10000
2

 43   43 
 3720.930...
r  60.999
 61 (nearest whole)

 the distance is approximately 61 km

Method 1: Calculus
To minimise r, it is enough to find the t that minimises r2.

d 2
dt
 
r  25 800t  18 000

d2 2
dt 2
 
r  25 800

0
The minimum distance occurs when
d 2
dt
 
r 0
25 800t  18 000  0
180 30
t  
258 43
d2
 
As 2 r 2  0 , then r2 has a minimum when t 
dt
30
43
 Then
2
 30   30 
r  12900    18000    10000
2

 43   43 
 3720.930...
r  60.999
 61 (nearest whole)


(4) Find the minimum distance from the parabola y  x 2 to the point (5, 0).
Express the answer to the nearest hundredth.

Let the point for shortest distance be (a, b) i.e (a, a2)

Let the distance from (5, 0) to (a, a2) be D.

∴ D2 = (a – 5)2 + (a2)2
∴ D2 = a2 – 10a + 25 + a4
∴ D2 = a4 + a2 – 10a + 25

If one minimises D2, we one minimise D.


d
da
 D 2   4a3  2a  10
 2  2a 3  a  5 

Minimum D2 when
d
da
 D2   0 i.e. 2  2a3  a  5  0
 2a 3  a  5  0
 a  1.2348

Minimum?

NB with
d
da
 D 2   2  2a3  a  5 only need to check 2a3  a  5 .
a 1.23 1.2348 1.24
d
da
 D2  –0.05 0 0.05

So D2 is a minimum when a  1.2348


∴ D is a minimum when a  1.2348

Dmin  4.06 units

∴ The minimum distance from a fixed point to a curve is the distance from a point on the
curve whose normal passes through the fixed point.