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Find the radius and height of a cylindrical can of total surface area 160 cm^2 whose volume is as large as possible

User DIRTY DAVE
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Final answer:

The radius of the cylindrical can is approximately 2.9 cm and the height is approximately 5.22 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the radius and height of a cylindrical can with the largest possible volume, we need to consider the total surface area and the formula for volume of a cylinder.

The formula for the total surface area of a cylinder is A = 2πrh + 2πr², where A is the total surface area, r is the radius, and h is the height of the cylinder.

In this case, we are given that the total surface area is 160 cm². We can equate this to the formula and solve for h:

160 = 2πrh + 2πr²

From here, we can either solve for r in terms of h or h in terms of r. Let's solve for h in terms of r:

  1. 160 = 2πrh + 2πr²
  2. 160 - 2πr² = 2πrh
  3. h = (160 - 2πr²) / (2πr)

Now, we can substitute the value of h into the volume formula and simplify to find the derivative:

  1. V = πr²h
  2. V = πr²((160 - 2πr²) / (2πr))
  3. V = (160r - 2πr³) / 2

To find the maximum volume, we need to find where the derivative equals zero. This occurs when:

  1. 0 = 160 - 6πr²
  2. r² = 160 / (6π)
  3. r² ≈ 8.49
  4. r ≈ √8.49
  5. r ≈ 2.9

Now that we have the value of r, we can substitute it back into the equation for h:

  1. h = (160 - 2π(2.9)²) / (2π(2.9))
  2. h ≈ 5.22

Therefore, the radius of the cylindrical can is approximately 2.9 cm and the height is approximately 5.22 cm.

User Wutzebaer
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