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JKLS
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Homework Statement
Two airplanes taxi as they approach the terminal. Plane 1 taxies with a speed of 11 m/s due north. Plane 2 taxies with a speed of 8.5 m/s in a direction 20 degrees north of west.
a) What is the magnitude of the velocity of plane 1 relative to plane 2?
b) What is the direction of the velocity of plane 1 relative to plane 2? (in degrees North of East)
c) What is the magnitude of the velocity of plane 2 relative to plane 1?
d) What is the direction of the velocity of plane 2 relative to plane 1? (in degrees South of West)
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
My main problem here is the setup of the question, as in, where the vectors are placed in reference to one another. The final answers for any of the velocity magnitudes or directions are not provided in the textbook, nor has my professor been willing to meet with me. Also, the question is worded really stupidly.
So, my thinking so far:
The velocities of the two resultant vectors will have the same magnitude, and opposite direction. The vectors aren't merely added, since the addition of these vectors would not result in a vector with a direction in degrees North of East (in its "simplest form"). I attempted to subtract the vector v2 (velocity plane 2) from v1 (velocity plane 1) but the result wasn't accepted by my school's assignment module as correct (~13.5 m/s).
Any ideas?