It's All Ratios

Calculus Level 4

In the bi-cone above let θ \theta be the angle(in degrees) made between two surfaces.

Find the angle θ \theta which minimizes the surface area of the bi-cone above when the volume is held constant.

Let x ( t ) = a t 2 + b , y ( t ) = c t 3 + d x(t) = at^2 + b, \:\ y(t) = ct^3 +d .

There are two lines which are both tangent and normal to the above curve.

Find the angle λ \lambda (in degrees) made between the two lines above.

Find λ θ \dfrac{\lambda}{\theta} .


The answer is 1.

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1 solution

Rocco Dalto
Oct 11, 2018

We just need the top portion of the bi-cone, then double the angle in the final result.

V = 1 3 π r 2 h = K V = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi r^2h = K and S = π r r 2 + h 2 S = \pi r\sqrt{r^2 + h^2} .

V = 1 3 π r 2 h = K h = 3 K π r 2 S ( r ) = π 2 r 6 + 9 K 2 r V = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi r^2h = K \implies h = \dfrac{3K}{\pi r^2} \implies S(r) = \dfrac{\sqrt{\pi^2 r^6 + 9K^2}}{r} \implies

d S d r = 2 π 2 r 6 9 K 2 r 2 π 2 r 6 + 9 K 2 = 0 \dfrac{dS}{dr} = \dfrac{2\pi^2 r^6 - 9K^2}{r^2\sqrt{\pi^2 r^6 + 9K^2}} = 0 r 0 r = ( 3 K 2 π ) 1 3 h = ( 6 k π ) 1 3 r \neq 0 \implies r = (\dfrac{3K}{\sqrt{2}\pi})^{\frac{1}{3}} \implies h = (\dfrac{6k}{\pi})^{\frac{1}{3}}

tan ( θ 2 ) = h r = ( 2 2 ) 1 3 = 2 θ = 2 arctan ( 2 ) 109.47122 \implies \tan(\dfrac{\theta}{2}) = \dfrac{h}{r} = (2\sqrt{2})^{\frac{1}{3}} = \sqrt{2} \implies \theta = 2\arctan(\sqrt{2}) \approx 109.47122 .

Let x ( t ) = a t 2 + b , y ( t ) = c t 3 + d d y d x ( t = t 1 ) = 3 c 2 a t 1 x(t) = at^2 + b,\:\ y(t) = ct^3 + d \implies \dfrac{dy}{dx}|(t = t_{1}) = \dfrac{3c}{2a}t_{1} \implies the tangent line to the curve at ( x ( t 1 ) , y ( t 1 ) ) (x(t_{1}),y(t_{1})) is: y ( c t 1 3 + d ) = 3 c 2 a t 1 ( x ( a t 1 2 + b ) ) y - (ct_{1}^3 + d) = \dfrac{3c}{2a}t_{1}(x - (at_{1}^2+ b))

Let the line be normal to the curve at ( x ( t 2 ) , y ( t 2 ) ) c ( t 2 t 1 ) ( t 2 2 + t 1 t 2 + t 1 2 ) = 3 c 2 t 1 ( t 2 t 1 ) ( t 2 + t 1 ) c 2 ( t 2 t 1 ) ( 2 t 2 2 t 1 t 2 t 1 2 ) = 0 (x(t_{2}),y(t_{2})) \implies c(t_{2} - t_{1})(t_{2}^2 + t_{1}t_{2} + t_{1}^2) = \dfrac{3c}{2}t_{1}(t_{2} - t_{1})(t_{2} + t_{1}) \implies \dfrac{c}{2}(t_{2} - t_{1})(2t_{2}^2 - t_{1}t_{2} - t_{1}^2) = 0 t 1 t 2 t 2 = t 1 2 t_{1} \neq t_{2} \implies t_{2} = -\dfrac{t_{1}}{2}

Since the tangent is also normal to the curve at ( x ( t 2 ) , y ( t 2 ) ) 9 c 2 4 a 2 t 1 t 2 = 1 (x(t_{2}),y(t_{2})) \implies \dfrac{9c^2}{4a^2}t_{1}t_{2} = -1 9 c 2 8 a 2 t 1 2 = 1 t 1 = ± 2 2 a 3 c \implies \dfrac{9c^2}{8a^2}t_{1}^2 = 1 \implies t_{1} = \pm\dfrac{2\sqrt{2}a}{3c} \implies the two slopes are ± 2 \pm\sqrt{2} .

tan ( λ 2 ) = 2 λ = 2 arctan ( 2 ) 109.47122 \tan(\dfrac{\lambda}{2}) = \sqrt{2} \implies \lambda = 2\arctan(\sqrt{2}) \approx \boxed{109.47122} .

λ θ = 1 \implies \dfrac{\lambda}{\theta} = \boxed{1} .

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