Solving When Boats Were Closest Together

  • Thread starter zapped
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In summary, two boats leave a dock at noon, one heading west at 25km/h and the other heading north at 20km/h. The second boat reaches the dock at 1:00 pm. To find when the boats were closest to each other, the time derivative of the magnitude of the distance between them must be zero. This occurs when the distance is at a minimum, which can be found by differentiating the equation for the distance between the boats. A diagram of the situation would be helpful in visualizing the problem.
  • #1
zapped
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1. Homework Statement
A boat leave a dock at noon and heads weat at a speed 25km/h. Another boat heads north at 20km/h and reaches the same dock at 1:00 pm. when were the boats closest to each other?


2. Homework Equations
when were the boats closest to each other?



3. The Attempt at a Solution
I use the pythagorean for the distance
but I'm not sure about how to sub them in?
I tried to assume that the second boat also leaves at noon, so the total distance will be 20km. But that's wrong. Please help, thanks =P[/b]
 
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  • #2
d(distance)/dt = 0

Calculate the following quantities in order. All but the last one are functions of time:
  1. the vector position of each boat
  2. the vector distance between the boats
  3. the magnitude of that distance
  4. the time derivative of that magnitude
  5. the time at which that derivative is zero
As long as the distance between the boats varies smoothly in time, its time derivative will be zero when the distance is at a minimum.
 
  • #3
At t = 0, the first boat has already traveled 25 km.

So, at any t > 0

dist btw. them ^ 2 = distance covered by boat 2 ^ 2 + (distance by 1 + 25 ) ^ 2

You need to differentiate this equation to get speeds in it.

A diagram about the situation would be a big help.
 

1. What is the formula for calculating the distance between two boats?

The formula for calculating the distance between two boats is the Pythagorean theorem, which states that the square of the hypotenuse (longest side) of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. In this case, the two sides are the distances traveled by each boat.

2. How do I determine the time at which the boats were closest together?

The time at which the boats were closest together can be determined by setting the equations for the distances traveled by each boat equal to each other, and solving for the time variable. This will give you the time at which the boats were closest together.

3. Can I use this formula for boats traveling at different speeds?

Yes, the formula for calculating the distance between two boats can be used for boats traveling at different speeds. However, you may need to adjust the units of measurement to ensure that they are consistent (e.g. convert miles per hour to feet per second).

4. Is there a specific method or technique for solving this problem?

Yes, one common method for solving the "boats closest together" problem is to create a table or graph to represent the distances traveled by each boat over time. This can help visualize the problem and make it easier to solve.

5. Can this formula be used for more than two boats?

Yes, the formula for calculating the distance between two boats can be extended to calculate the distance between multiple boats. However, the number of variables and equations will increase, making the problem more complex to solve.

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