Question

Most of the heat loss for outdoor swimming pools is due to surface

evaporation. So, the greater the area of the surface of the pool, the greater
the heat loss. For a given perimeter, which surface shape would be more
efficient at retaining heat: a circle or a rectangle? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

rectangle

Explanation:

Perimeter of 20 feet

rectangle (square is technically a rectangle):

sides 5 and 5

5*5 = 25ft²

Circle:

20/(2π) = 3.18309...

3.1809...²π = 31.831ft²

Max area of rectangle (i.e. square) has a smaller area than a circle.