Calculating Distance to Make a Catch using Laws of Cosines

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves applying the laws of cosines to determine the distance a baseball player must run to catch a fly ball. The scenario includes specific distances from a camera and an angle of rotation, which are critical to the calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to use the law of cosines to solve for the distance the player must run, identifying the relevant variables and applying the appropriate formula. Some participants confirm the correctness of the expression used in the calculation, while others raise questions about the implications of taking the square root of a squared distance.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants verifying parts of the original poster's calculations. There is a focus on ensuring the understanding of the mathematical principles involved, particularly regarding the interpretation of the square root in the context of distance.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of considering the physical meaning of negative values in the context of distance, which may lead to further exploration of assumptions in the problem setup.

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Homework Statement


The problem has to do with laws of cosines/sines.

"The baseball player in center field is playing approximately 330 feet from the television camera that is behind home plate. A batter hits a fly ball that goes to the wall 420 feet from the camera. The camera turns 6 degrees to follow the play. Approximate the distance the center field has to run to make the catch."

The diagram given looks roughly like this:
http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fieldbu9.jpg

Homework Equations



There are 3 equations relating to the Laws of Cosines:

1. a^2 = b^2 + c^2 - 2bccos(A)
2. b^2 = a^2 + c^2 - 2accos(B)
3. c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2abcos(C)


The Attempt at a Solution



At this point the case of this problem is SAS (side side angle). So I know that laws of cosines has to be used here.

I then labeled the diagram like this:
http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=field2uv3.jpg

Givens:
b=420
c=330
A=6 degrees
a = ?

a is what needs to be solved.

I then used equation one since it has the most related givens

a^2 = b^2 + c^2 - 2bccos(A)
a^2 = 420^2 + 330^2 - 2(420)(330)cos6

a = [tex]\sqrt{420^2 + 330^2 - 2(420)(330)cos6}[/tex]

a = 98.07ft

Thats my approximate answer. Can someone verify it?
 
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The expression in the root is correct.
 
So is everything correct?
 
Since you are taking the root of a number it should be +-. But negative distance doesn't make sense, but it is something to keep in mind.
 

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