When a particular circuit containing a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor in series is connected to
a battery, the current i (in amperes) is given by i =20e–3t(e2.6t – e–2.6t) where t is the time (in
seconds). Find the time at which the maximum current occurs. Round to the nearest tenth of a
second.
Prairie dogs form an important part of the coyote’s diet. As coyotes are hunting for prairie dogs,
they must be careful to expend just the right amount of time at each burrow. If a coyote spends too
little time at each burrow, it catches very few prairie dogs per kilocalorie of energy expended.
Likewise, if the coyote spends too much time digging at a single burrow, it can expend a large
amount of energy per prairie dog caught. The relation between energy expended and time spent at
each burrow is approximated by E =1
t+20
t – 0.75 t2 for t > 0.75 minutes, where t is in minutes and
E is in kcal expended per prairie dog caught. How much time should a coyote spend at each
burrow to minimize the energy expended per prairie dog caught. (Hint: pay close attention to the
domain of the above function.)