From the setup of the problem, the "length of the top of the bookcase, measured along the attic ceiling" will be the hypotenuse of a right triangle, the length "AB". We have both the angle between AB and AC and the length of AC (3.24 meters), so we can use trigonometric identities.
The cosine of the 40 degree angle between AB and AC is equivalent to the length of AC divided by the length of AB. Equivalently, we have:

where "h", the hypotenuse, is the length we want. Rearranging the formula to solve for h we have that

which is 4.2295... meters. Converting to centimeters (multiplying by 100) we have that h = 422.95... centimeters, or if we round the value, h = 423 centimeters.
Answer:
-3 1/3
Step-by-step explanation:
The quadratic
... y = ax² +bx +c
has its extreme value at
... x = -b/(2a)
Since a = 3 is positive, we know the parabola opens upward and the extreme value is a minimum. (We also know that from the problem statement asking us to find the minimum value.) The value of x at the minimum is -(-4)/(2·3) = 2/3.
To find the minimum value, we need to evaluate the function for x=2/3.
The most straightforward way to do this is to substitue 2/3 for x.
... y = 3(2/3)² -4(2/3) -2 = 3(4/9) -8/3 -2
... y = (4 -8 -6)/3 = -10/3
... y = -3 1/3
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<em>Confirmation</em>
You can also use a graphing calculator to show you the minimum.
They will have the same Perimeter, unless you shrink or grow the image then nothing with change