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📦 Box Volume Optimization Lab

How much should you cut from the corners
to make the volume as large as possible?

Cut equal squares from the four corners of a square sheet of paper and fold up the sides to make an open-top box. Adjust the cut size x and find the point where the volume is largest.

The volume of the box is V(x) = x(L-2x)². If x is too small, the box is too shallow; if x is too large, there is barely any base left. The volume is maximized at the point where the derivative V'(x)=0.

Net (cut corners)
V(x) graph
Cut size x2
V(2) = 2 × (12-2×2)² = 128
Best volume so far
?
Theoretical maximum

📦 Optimization Quiz

Question 1/3 · Correct 0