A Norman window is a window with a semi-circle on top of regular rectangular window. What should be the dimensions of the rectangular part of a Norman window to allow in as much light as possible, if there are only 12 ft of the frame material available?
Accepted Solution
A:
The dimensions of the rectangular portion of the window should be 4 by 4.
To maximize area, we make the dimensions as close to congruent as possible. Since there will be 3 sides on the rectangular portion with a frame around them, we divide 12 by 3: 12/3 = 4