Michele Lebaron 2/28/14

Maximizing the Profit of a Business Math1010

A manufacturer produces the following two items: computer desks and bookcases. Each item requires processing in each of two departments. Department A has 55 hours available and department B has 39 hours available each week for production. To manufacture a computer desk requires 4 hours in department A and 3 hours in department B while a bookcase requires 3 hours in department A and 2 hours in department B. Profits on the items are $72 and $23 respectively. If all the units can be sold, how many of each should be made to maximize profits? 1.) Linear inequality for the hours used in Department A: 4x+3y<=55 2.) Linear inequality for the hours used in Department B: 3x+2y<=39 3.) Profit Function: P=72x+23y 4x+3y<=55 3x+2y<=39 x>=0 y>=0 4.) 5.) The Graphed Inequalities

Michele Lebaron 2/28/14

5.) Coordinates of the ordered pairs that make up the corners of the shaded shape on the graph and how they are solved: Step 1: Find the vertex formed by the lines of the following using the elimination method: 4x+3y=55 multiply both sides 12x+9y=165

3x+2y=39 to eliminate variable -12x-8y=-156 Combine like terms y=9 Step 2: Plug in and solve for x: 4x+3(9)=55 = 4x=28 X=7

Vertex made by lines = (7,9) Step 3: set coordinates equal to 0 to find x and y intercepts 4x+3(0)=55 3(0)+2y=39 = 55/4 = (55/4,0) =39/2 = (0,39/2)

The last coordinates are a simple (0,0) Vertices: (7,9) (0,0) (55/4,0) (0,39/2) 6.) Plug in points found in previous question to profit function to determine which ordered pair will maximize profits: P=72x+23y P=72(7)+23(9) P=72(55/4)+23(0) P=72(0)+23(39/2) =711 =990 =448.5

In conclusion we should sell all computer desks at $72 and no bookcases at $23 to Maximize Profits, and make a profit of $990.

Reflection
I think overall this project did make me think differently about this type of math. I recently took managerial accounting and I feel that this really applies although I believe this way of doing it much harder than the accounting way of math, actually they are about the same amount of work but both lead to the same answer. The reality of it is that math can be solved in so many

Michele Lebaron 2/28/14

different ways, hard problems that seem out of this world in accounting can be solved by plugging simple math equations that have been ingrained in our brains throughout education. I truly feel there is a need for this math now, even though at the beginning of the semester I felt it would be a waste of time. I no longer think that. In my accounting class I needed to solve an equation involving algebraic equations such as value= value +x. Now that I can see that many equations can be pulled from math such as the one we did in this project I know that it is valuable to have this knowledge.