Finding change in altitude, and speed in x direction and y direction

yazz912
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1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known
A crazed ostrich names rhomboid runs along a mountain path with coordinates given by
r(t) = < e^t, e^-t, sqrt(2) t>

B) what is the change in rhomboids altitude from t=0 to t= 10

C) what is rhomboids speed in x direction when t=4

D) what is rhomboids speed in y direction when t=4

E) find a formula for the total distance traveled by rhomboid from t= 0 to t=4

2. Homework Equations
• integration
•derivatives
3. The Attempt at a Solution

For part b) the first thing I thought to do was to integrate only the z component ( since it's height) and evaluate the integral from 0 to 10? Which I get 50*sqrt(2)

C) for speed in x direction do I take the magnitude of the derivative of e^t then plug t=4?
x'(t) = e^t
||x'(t)|| = e^t
Plug in t=4 I get 54.6

D) I do the same as C) only this time I use the y component ?
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yazz912 said:
For part b) the first thing I thought to do was to integrate only the z component ( since it's height) and evaluate the integral from 0 to 10? Which I get 50*sqrt(2)
Why are you integrating? What kind of beast is the integral of a position with respect to time?
C) for speed in x direction do I take the magnitude of the derivative of e^t then plug t=4?
x'(t) = e^t
||x'(t)|| = e^t
Plug in t=4 I get 54.6

D) I do the same as C) only this time I use the y component ?
Yes and yes.
 
That's what my group thought that we had to integrate... So how would we find change in altitude then?
 
yazz912 said:
That's what my group thought that we had to integrate... So how would we find change in altitude then?

Just find the change in the z coordinate betweent t=0 and t=10.
 
Dick said:
Just find the change in the z coordinate betweent t=0 and t=10.
Just by simply plugging it into the original Z coordinate?
 
yazz912 said:
Just by simply plugging it into the original Z coordinate?

Yes.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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