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Roy needs to travel from A to C.

In order to do this, he will swim to the point B and run the rest of the way.

(You can move the point B to help visualise the problem.)

Roy can swim at 1.2ms−1 and run at 5ms−1.

Find the shortest possible time it could take Roy to travel from A to C.

(You are given that the stationary value for total time gives a minimum.)


speed=distancetime

Let the horizontal distance from A to C be called x. Then BC=70−x.


Calculate the distance AC in terms of x.

The total time take is equal to the time taken from A to C plus the time take from B to C. Express the total time as a function of x and use differentiation to find the optimum x which minimises the total time.


Give your answer to the nearest second.