Question

A Norman window is a rectangle with a semicircle on top. Suppose that the perimeter of a particular Norman window is to be 24 feet. What should the rectangle's dimensions be in order to maximize the area of the window and, therefore, allow in as much light as possible?

Answer 1

To maximize the area of the Norman window, solve for the dimensions of the rectangle. Substitute the expression for 'h' in terms of 'w' into the area formula. Take the derivative of A with respect to 'w', set it equal to zero, and solve for 'w'.

Step-by-step explanation:

To maximize the area of the Norman window, we need to find the dimensions of the rectangle. Let's denote the width of the rectangle as 'w' and the height as 'h'. The perimeter of the rectangle can be expressed as 2w + h + πh = 24 feet. Rearranging the equation, we have (2 + π)h + 2w = 24. Since we want to maximize the area, we can solve for 'h' in terms of 'w' using this equation.

Next, we can substitute the expression for 'h' in terms of 'w' into the area formula for the window, which is A = wh + (π/4)w^2. Simplifying this expression, we get A = (w(2 + πw))/4. To find the dimensions that maximize the area, we can take the derivative of A with respect to 'w', set it equal to zero, and solve for 'w'. This will give us the width of the rectangle. Once we have the width, we can substitute it back into the equation for 'h' to find the height.

By solving these equations, we can find the dimensions of the rectangle that will maximize the area of the Norman window, allowing in as much light as possible.