12th-MAXIMA-MINIMA WORD PROBLEMS PRACTICE

1. Find two positive numbers whose sum is 15 and the sum of whose cubes is minimum.
2. If the sum of the surface areas of cube and a sphere is constant, what is the ratio of an edge of the cube
to the diameter of the sphere, when the sum of their volumes is minimum?
3. A square tank of capacity 250 cubic metres has to be dug out. The cost of the land is Rs. 50 per square
metre. The cost of digging increases with the depth and for the whole tank it is? 400  h 2 where h
metres is the depth of the tank. What should be the dimensions of the tank so that the cost would be
minimum?
4. A square piece of tin of side 18 cm is to be made into a box without top by cutting a square from each
corner and folding up the flaps to form a box. What should be the side of the square to be cut off so that
the volume of the box is maximum? Also find its maximum volume.
5. An open tank with a square base and vertical sides is to be constructed from a metal sheet so as to hold
a given quantity of water. Show that the cost of material will be least when the depth of the tank is half
of its width.
6. Show that a closed right circular cylinder of given total surface area and maximum volume is such that
its height is equal to the diameter of its base.
7. Show that the maximum volume of a cylinder which can be inscribed in a cone of height h and semi-
4
vertical angle 30 is  h3 .
81
8. A wire of length 28 m is to be cut into two pieces, one piece is bent into a circle and the other into a
square. What should be the length of the pieces so that the combined area of the square and the circle is
minimum.
9. Find the point on the curve x2  4 y which is nearest to the point (1, 2) .
10. A rectangle is inscribed in a semicircle of radius r with one of its sides on the diameter of semicircle.
Find the dimensions of the rectangle so that its area is maximum. Also find the maximum area.
11. Show that a right circular cylinder which is open at the top, and has a given surface area will have the
greatest volume if its height is equal to the radius of the base.
12. Show that the maximum volume of the cylinder which can be inscribed in a sphere of radius 5 3 cm is
500 cm3
13. Prove that of all rectangle with given area, the square has the smallest perimeter.
14. Prove that of all rectangle with given perimeter, the square has the largest area.
15. Show that of all rectangles inscribed in a given fixed circle the square has the maximum area.
16. If the sum of the lengths of the hypotenuse and a side of a right-angled triangle is given, show that the

area of the triangle is maximum when the angle between them is .
3
17. If the lengths of three sides of a trapezium other than base are equal to 10 cm each, then find the area of
the trapezium when it is maximum.
18. A window is in the form of a rectangle surmounted by a semicircle. If the perimeter of the window is
30 m , find the dimensions of the window so that the maximum possible light is admitted.
19. An open box with a square base is to be made out of a given quantity of sheet of area a 2 . Show that the
a3
maximum volume of the box is .
6 3
20. Show that the right circular cone of least curved surface area and given volume has an altitude
equal to 2 times the radius of the base.
21. Show that the semi-vertical angle of the right circular cone of given total surface area and maximum
1
volume is sin 1 .
3
 22. Show that the height of a cylinder of maximum volume that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius R is
2 R , Also find the maximum volume.
3
23. Prove that the radius of the right circular cylinder of greatest curved surface area which can be
inscribed in a given right circular cone is half that of the cone.
24. Show that the maximum volume of a cylinder which can be inscribed in a cone of height h and semi-
4
vertical angle  is  h3 tan 2  .
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8
25. Show that the volume of the largest cone that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius r is of the
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volume of the sphere.
26. Show that the altitude of a right circular cone of maximum curved surface which can be
4r
inscribed in a sphere of radius r is .
3
27. Prove that semi-vertical angle of right circular cone of maximum volume and of given slant height is
tan 1 2.
28. Show that a right circular cylinder of given volume, which is open at the top, has minimum total surface
area if its height is equal to radius of its base.
29. Show that height of a closed right circular cylinder of given surface and maximum volume is equal to
the diameter of base.
30. Prove that the semi-vertical angle of the right circular cone of given volume and least curved
surface area is cot 1 2.
31. Of all the closed right circular cylindrical cans of volume 128 cm3 , find the dimensions of the can
which has minimum surface area.

ANSWERS
15 15 3 cm2
1. , 17. 75
2 2
30
2. 1: 1 18. Radius of semicircle  m ; Length of
4
3. Side of square base  10 metres and depth  2.5
60 30
rectangle  m and breadth  m
metres 4 4
3
4. 3 cm,432 cm 4 R3
22. Maximum volume 
28 112 3 3
8. m, m
 4  4 31. Radius  4 cm and height  8 cm
9. (2,1)

10. 2r , 1 r; r 2
2