MHB Calculus airplane related rates problem ( cosine rule)

Click For Summary
The discussion revolves around a calculus problem involving related rates and the cosine rule, where a student is measuring the distance to an airplane moving at a constant velocity. The airplane ascends at a 60-degree angle while the student remains 5 meters away horizontally. To find the rate of change of the distance between the student and the airplane, the equation r² = (2t)² + 5² - 2(2t)(5)cos(120°) is established. Participants suggest taking the derivative of this equation with respect to time to solve for dr/dt in meters per second. The problem emphasizes the application of calculus in real-world scenarios involving motion and angles.
jaychay
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
A student has test his airplane and he is far from the airplane for 5 meter.He start to test his airplane by letting his airplane to move 60 degree from the horizontal plane with constant velocity for 120 meter per minute.Find the rate of distance between the student and the plane when the plane is moving 60 degree from the horizontal plane for 10 meter in the air ?

Please help me
I have tried to solve the answer many times but I cannot do it
Thank you in advice
 

Attachments

  • cal.png
    cal.png
    45.2 KB · Views: 123
Physics news on Phys.org
Are you translating this to English from another language? I assume the problem wants to know the rate of change of the distance between the plane and student w/respect to time.

note 120 meters/min = 2 meters/sec

let $r$ be the distance between the student and the airplane at any time $t$ in seconds

$r^2 = (2t)^2 + 5^2 - 2(2t)(5)\cos(120^\circ)$

take the derivative of the above equation w/respect to time, then determine the value of $\dfrac{dr}{dt}$ in meters/sec
 
skeeter said:
Are you translating this to English from another language? I assume the problem wants to know the rate of change of the distance between the plane and student w/respect to time.

note 120 meters/min = 2 meters/sec

let $r$ be the distance between the student and the airplane at any time $t$ in seconds

$r^2 = (2t)^2 + 5^2 - 2(2t)(5)\cos(120^\circ)$

take the derivative of the above equation w/respect to time, then determine the value of $\dfrac{dr}{dt}$ in meters/sec
Thank you very much