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Performance Task

3-D Printing

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Starting a Business

Starting a Business

You want to start a business selling 3-D printed items. Choose an object to print and then sketch a design. Research the costs associated with starting your business, including the cost of the printer and the estimated cost of materials to print each copy of your object. Finally, determine the selling price of each copy.

Write and graph several functions that represent the following relationships. Describe each relationship as the number of copies increases.

  • the average cost per copy when $$n$$ copies are printed
  • the cost of printing $$n$$ copies compared to your revenue after after selling $$n$$ copies
  • your average profit or loss per copy after printing and selling $$n$$ copies

generic 3d-printed item picturedß

Did You Know?

  • 3-D printing was invented by Chuck Hull in the 1980s when he used the technology to print a small cup.
  • Known as additive manufacturing, 3-D printing works by adding successive layers of material until the object is complete. Each layer is a cross-section of the actual object.
  • Besides medical devices like prosthetics, there are many practical applications of 3-D printing. For example, a 400-square-foot house was constructed in Moscow in less than 24 hours using 3- D printing technology.
  • For time critical situations like natural disasters, an intriguing idea is to use 3-D printing to create emergency shelters.

Find Out More – Search Topics

  • 3-D printing
  • Computer-aided design (CAD)