Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Rate of Change
In calculus, the rate of change refers to how a quantity changes over time. It is often represented as a derivative, which measures the instantaneous rate of change of a function. In this context, we are interested in how the volume of water in the reservoir changes with respect to time, specifically looking for the maximum rate of increase during the 24-hour period.
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Mean Value Theorem
The Mean Value Theorem states that if a function is continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the open interval, there exists at least one point where the instantaneous rate of change (derivative) equals the average rate of change over that interval. This theorem is crucial for this problem as it allows us to conclude that there must be a moment when the volume increase exceeds the average rate calculated over the 24 hours.
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Unit Conversion
Unit conversion is the process of converting a quantity expressed in one set of units to another. In this problem, we need to convert the increase in volume from acre-feet to gallons per minute to compare it with the required rate. Understanding how to convert between these units is essential for accurately determining whether the instantaneous rate exceeds 225,000 gallons per minute.
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