another confusin problem, but this time w/ words

[the_slow1]

I tried solving it but I know i got the wrong answer, can you please help me solve it. I need it to prepare for my upcoming exam and this will be a problem on there.

the problem reads:

A rancher with 750 feet of fencing wants to enclose a rectangular area and then divide it into four pens w/ fencing parallel to one side of the rectangle.

a) find a function that models the total area of the four pens

b) find the largest possible total area of the four pens

Any comments or suggestions will be much appreciated, thank you.

 

[Gene]

Draw a picture of the pen labeled W by Y with the fencing parallel to Y. Count the number of Ws and Ys and set that = 750.
If you are still stuck, show how far you have gotten.

 

[the_slow1]

im still stuck

i tried drawing it out and spent an hour on it, but I got no where.

this is the problem...

A rancher with 750 feet of fencing wants to enclose a rectangular area and then divide it into four pens w/ fencing parallel to one side of the rectangle.

a) find a function that models the total area of the four pens

b) find the largest possible total area of the four pens

Any comments or suggestions will be much appreciated, thank you

 

[stapel]

We know what the exercise is; you don't need to re-post it. But you do need to follow the instructions.

1) Draw a rectangle.

2) Label the width as "w"; label the length as "L".

3) Draw the three internal fencing lines. Label them also as "w".

4) Add up all the lengths ("w + w + L +..."), and simplify to get an expression for the total length of fencing used.

5) Set this length equal to the given length of fencing.

6) Solve this equation for "L=", so you now have "length" expressed in terms of the width "w".

7) Multiply the variable for the width by the expression for the length. This is your answer for (a).

8) Note that your expression is a negative quadratic. Find the maximim; that is, find the vertex. Interpret this point in terms of the word problem.

If you get stuck, please reply showing all the steps you have tried. Thank you.

Eliz.