Descartes was able to construct the product and quotient of two quantities using similar triangles. Suppose AB is taken to equal 1, and one wants to multiply BD by BC (see the figure on the right). Join AC and draw DE parallel to CA. 1. Show that BE is the product of BD and BC.

2. Similarly, given two lengths BE and BD, construct the quotient length.

Alake near the arctic circle is covered by a 222-meter-thick sheet of ice during the cold winter months. when spring arrives, the warm air gradually melts the ice, causing its thickness to decrease at a constant rate. after 333 weeks, the sheet is only 1.251.251, point, 25 meters thick. let s(t)s(t)s, left parenthesis, t, right parenthesis denote the ice sheet's thickness sss (measured in meters) as a function of time ttt (measured in weeks).