Exploring the Open-Top Box Problem
- Author:
- cconrad, Simona Riva
The left window controls the box's dimensions. The right window shows the volume for different values of x.
- Select the dimensions of the box (width, height) and then find the value of x that will maximize the volume.
- Write an equation for the volume of the box as a function of x.
- Select "show formula" in the right window to see if you were correct. (hide when finished)
- Repeat steps 1-3 a total of three times.
- Find the derivative of the equations from above and verify that the optimal value for the box's volume happens at the value for x that you found above.
Thanks to Simona Riva for creating this applet.