Question

Thomas needs to buy a cardboard sheet that will allow him to make his 224 in 3 box. To help construct the box, he decided to cut out 2 inch squares from both the lengths and widths. Given that the length will need to be 6 inches longer than the width create an equation for the volume of the box, find the zeroes, the dimensions of the box, and graph the function.

Answer 1

Part 1; The volume of the box Thomas wants to make is 224 = 2·w² + 12·w

Part 2; The zeros for the equation of the function, are w = -14, or w = 8

Part 3

The width of the box is 8 inch

The length of the box, is 14 inches

The height of the box, is given as 2 inches

Part 4

Please find attached the graph of the function

Explanation:

Part 1

The volume of the box Thomas wants to make, V = 224 in.³

The dimensions he cuts out from the length and width = 2 in² each

The length of the box = 6 inches + The width of the box

Let l represent the length of the box and let w represent the width of the box, we have;

l = 6 + w

The height of the box, h = The length of the cut out square = 2 inches

The volume of the box, V = Length, l × Width, w × Height, h

∴ V = l × w × h

l = 6 + w, h = 2

∴ V = (6 + w) × w × 2

V = 2·w² + 12·w,

The equation of the volume of the box, V = 2·w² + 12·w, where, V = 224

∴ 224 = 2·w² + 12·w

Part 2

The zeros of the equation for the volume of the box, V = 2·w² + 12·w, where, V = 224 are found as follows;

V = 224 = 2·w² + 12·w

∴ 2·w² + 12·w - 224 = 0

Dividing by 2 gives;

(2·w² + 12·w - 224)/2 = w² + 6·w - 112 = 0

∴ (w + 14) × (w - 8) = 0

The zeros for the equation of the function, are w = -14, or w = 8

Part 3

We reject the value, w = -14, therefore, the width of the box, w = 8 inch

The length of the box, l = 6 + w

∴ l = 6 + 8 = 14

The length of the box, l = 8 inches

The height of the box, h, is given as h = 2 inches

Part 4

The graph of the function created with MS Excel is attached