Spreadsheets can assist with activities that involve trying to reach a maximum or minimum solution.

Max Box

Make an open top box from an A4 sheet of paper. What is the maximum volume of the box?

This activity can start with pupils cutting squares from the corners of an A4 sheet of paper.

When they are able to generalise the rule for finding the length, width and volume from a given height then they could set up their own spreadsheet to enable them to find the maximum volume to several decimal places.

Use the Max Box activity

Maximum volume Excel spreadsheet
If the height and volume are put in adjacent columns then an x-y graph can be drawn (Excel calls it an X-Y scatter).

Here are instructions on how to set up the spreadsheet.

Max Area

Mrs Bloggs keeps cows. She has 1000 metres of fencing with which to make a rectangular enclosure for her cows. What is the maximum area of the enclosure? When pupils can generalise the rule for finding the width and area from a given length then they could set up a spreadsheet to tackle the problem. The perimeter can be changed to any value.

Use the Max Area activity

Maximum area Excel spreadsheet

Here are instructions on how to set up the spreadsheet.

Extension: Investigate other shapes with a perimeter of 1000 metres.