Calculating Displacement of Roller Coaster Motion

[gadawg90]

A roller coaster moves 201 ft horizontally, then rises 150 ft at an angle of 27.5o above the horizontal. It then travels 150 ft at an angle of 38.2o below the horizontal. What is the magnitude of its displacement from the starting point at the end of this movement? What is the angle relative to the horizontal of this displacement? Use positive values for angles above and negative values for angles below the horizontal.

I think you ahve to split this up into its x and y components? help would be awesome.

 

[ideasrule]

I think you ahve to split this up into its x and y components? help would be awesome.

Yes! Figure out the total horizontal displacement & total vertical displacement. Then the answer will come easily.

 

[gadawg90]

right i understand i need to find those, but can someone start me off in the right direction..

 

[CandyApples]

Use the head to tail method of vector addition to make it easier to get at an answer.

 

[ideasrule]

So the roller coaster moves 201 ft initially, so that's x=201, y=0. Then it moves 150 ft at an angle of 27.5o above the horizontal, so x=201+150*cos(27.5), y=0+150sin(27.5). Do the same with the rest of the ride.