Math 311 - Lab 1

Assigned Jan 13
Due Jan 25th Beginning of Class

An oil spill has fouled 200 miles of Pacific shoreline. The oil company responsible has been given 14 days to clean up the shoreline, after which a fine will be levied in the amount of $10,000/day. The local cleanup crew can scrub five miles of beach per week at a cost of $500/day. Additional crews can be brought in at a cost of $18,000 plus $800/day for each crew.

Your group has been hired as a consultant and should write a report back to the oil company describing the answers to the questions below and why your model predicts these numbers. Use graphs to demonstrate your solution, and you must tweak at least one parameter to demonstrate your model's flexibility. Be descriptive.

How many additional crews should be brought in to minimize cost? What is total cost? How long will the cleanup take?