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Thread: Minimization Story Problem

  1. Dec 2nd 2009, 02:19 PM #1
    seuzy13
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    Minimization Story Problem

    The wall of a building is to be braced by a beam that must pass over a parallel fence 5 feet high and 4 feet from the building. Find the length of the shortest beam that can be used.

    So far, I have drawn a diagram and I can see that this involves similar triangles, but I don't know how to precede from here.
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  2. Dec 2nd 2009, 02:30 PM #2
    skeeter
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    Quote Originally Posted by seuzy13 View Post
    The wall of a building is to be braced by a beam that must pass over a parallel fence 5 feet high and 4 feet from the building. Find the length of the shortest beam that can be used.

    So far, I have drawn a diagram and I can see that this involves similar triangles, but I don't know how to precede from here.
    http://www.math.ucdavis.edu/~kouba/CalcOneDIRECTORY/maxmindirectory/MaxMin.html

    scroll down to problem #18
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