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Problem

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16 Nov 2021

Given information

In a beehive, each cell is a regular hexagonal prism, open at one end with a trihedral angle at the other end as in the figure. It is believed that bees form their cells in such a way as to minimize the surface area for a given volume, thus using the least amount of wax in cell construction. Examination of these cells has shown that the measure of the apex angle  is amazingly consistent. Based on the geometry of the cell, it can be shown that the surface area  is given by

  

where , the length of the sides of the hexagon, and , the height, are constants.

Step-by-step explanation

Step 1.

According to the question, 

Given surface area  is
 
Differentiate on both sides
 

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