Final Answer:
a) The derivative of the function relating side length, L, to the total area of the shaded rectangles is dA/dL = 4L - 8.
b) Integrating the function with respect to L yields A(L) = 2L² - 8L + C, where C is the constant of integration.
c) Solving for L in terms of the total area, a, results in L = √((a + 8) / 2).
d) When L = 0, the function evaluated at L gives A(0) = 0.
Step-by-step explanation:
a) To find the derivative of the function representing the relationship between side length, L, and the total area of the shaded rectangles, differentiate the equation describing the area with respect to L. If the total area, A, is the sum of the areas of two rectangles (each with length L and width 2), the derivative dA/dL is calculated to be dA/dL = 4L - 8.
b) Integrating the derivative with respect to L will yield the original function for the area. Integrating dA/dL results in A(L) = 2L² - 8L + C, where C is the constant of integration that accounts for any initial conditions or specific values.
c) Solving for L in terms of the total area, a, involves rearranging the area function to isolate L. The equation for L in terms of a is L = √((a + 8) / 2), where the square root accounts for the relationship between the total area and the side length of the rectangles.
d) When the side length, L, is zero, the total area A(0) = 0. This makes intuitive sense as the area cannot exist if the side length is zero, affirming the result A(0) = 0 in this context.