Calculus Team Assignment #1

(Justin Hooper, Jon Lu, Kullo Sam)

Objective: To incorporate the tools of calculus in a real life situation, and to improve

student communication skills.

Overview: Our oil company wishes to construct a pipeline from an offshore rig to

the refinery. The rig is located 8 miles from shore and the refinery is 5 miles inland,

7 miles due east of the rig.

The cost of building the pipeline has been determined to be $5 million per mile

offshore and $3.5 million per mile on land. Therefore, the cost of the line depends

upon the placement of the shoreline junction. Your team must find the most

economical placement of the junction.

Project:

1) Find a function that describes the total cost of the pipeline.

2) Analyze some sample pipeline routes and their corresponding costs. Present this in

an Excel spreadsheet. Also present a graph of the data.

3) Use calculus to determine the exact placement of the junction that minimizes cost.

4) Present your findings in a written report. Use MS Word and include all tables, charts, and equations (use Equation Editor found in Word).

5) Prepare a Power Point presentation of your report.

6) Upload your report to a Webpage.

7) This assignment is due on my desk at 9:00 am, Thursday, Dec. 6.

8) Choose a team member to present the Power Point to the Calculus I class that same morning over the Pictel system

Where do we put the junction to minimize cost?

13 miles