pipe calculate leght please HELP!!!!!!!?

Question

a pipe of legible diameter is to be carried Horizontally around a CORNER from a hallway of 8ft into a hallway of 4ft wide. Whats is th maximum length that that pipe can have?
without using calculus

follow the link to see the pic
http://img468.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan001001fx7.png
or
http://aycu37.webshots.com/image/27916/2005320442045045817_rs.jpg

please i realy need this

Answer 1

The question specifically asks to solve without using calculus, so that's what I'll try to do.

At the maximum length, the pipe will touch the inside corner and the opposing walls at any angle between 30 and 60 degrees. When the pipe is at a 45 degree angle, the pipe will be touching the walls at a point that is 12ft away from the outside corner making a right isoceles triangle.

The maximum length in that case is 12 * sq root(2) = 16.92 ft

Answer 2

That is a toughy.

There's a relationship between the angle formed where the pipe touches the inner corner and the inner walls. One angle is, say, theta, the other is 90-theta. With some trig functions...

It also looks like you can sketch a rectangle in which the pipe forms the diagonal.

When you say that your really need this: in what sense is that? What's your time frame for a solution? I like a challenge like this but need to fit it into my schedule.

Answer 3

let x be the angle between pipe and wall


The pipe has 2 parts, let l and L be their lenghts
then you need to calculate max(l+L)
But
l=4/cos(x) and L=8/sin(x)

so you need to calculate max(4/cos(x) +8/sin(x)) and you can do that using first derivative

Answer 4

confusing aspect. check out over bing and yahoo. it can help!