Task of the Week: Arched Greenhouse

As a task creator for MathCityMap, it is important to look at the environment through “mathematical glasses”. Thus, buildings become cuboids, lawns become polygons or – as in the current task of the week – greenhouses become half cylinders.

Task: Arched greenhouse (task number: 1950)

Calculate the material requirement for plastic for the greenhouse. Give the result in m².

When solving the task, students’ mathematical view is also taught. This involves the recognition of the object as a lying half cylinder. Once this has been achieved, radius, the circumference of the semicircle and height must be measured, so that the material consumption can be calculated. This corresponds to the surface of the half cylinder, which can be determined by means of formulas for the area of ​​a circle and the surface of a cylinder.