Chapter 4: Partial Differentiation
Section 4.7: Approximations
Example 4.7.7
Use differentials to estimate the maximum error in determining the surface area of a closed rectangular box measured (in inches) to be , if each measurement is accurate to .2 in.
Solution
Mathematical Solution
If the length, width, and height of the box are , and respectively, the surface area of the box is given by the function . The maximal error in measuring the surface area as , will be approximately , where
Indeed, the actual value of the maximal error is
Maple Solution - Interactive
Define and its first partial derivatives
Context Panel: Assign Function
Calculus palette: Partial derivative operator (Set the symbols , and as Atomic Identifiers)
Calculate
Context Panel: Evaluate and Display Inline
=
Compute "exactly"
Maple Solution - Coded
Define .
Use the differential operator D to obtain the partial derivatives in .
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