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crono_
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This is an assignment question, so I'm not looking for the answer but perhaps just a nudge in the right direction.
The captain of a plane wishes to proceed due west. The cruising speed of the plane is 260 m/s relative to the air. A weather report indicates that a 45.0-m/s wind is blowing from the south to the north. In what direction, measured with respect to due west, should the pilot head the plane?
This sounds like it's a right triangle, so I think Pythagorean theorem would be used.
c2 = a2 + b2
I was attempting to draw the problem on a standard x, y coordinate system but wasn't sure how to lay it out.
The wind seems pretty obvious as it's blowing from the south to north, so I was thinking about using a vector arrow pointing in the + y direction. The cruising speed of the plane however seems a little trickier. Would I consider this to be the hypotenuse? Or just one of the other two sides of the right triangle?
Once the two values have been drawn I imagine you would use Pythagorean to find the other side and then calculate the angle.
Any advice?
Homework Statement
The captain of a plane wishes to proceed due west. The cruising speed of the plane is 260 m/s relative to the air. A weather report indicates that a 45.0-m/s wind is blowing from the south to the north. In what direction, measured with respect to due west, should the pilot head the plane?
Homework Equations
This sounds like it's a right triangle, so I think Pythagorean theorem would be used.
c2 = a2 + b2
The Attempt at a Solution
I was attempting to draw the problem on a standard x, y coordinate system but wasn't sure how to lay it out.
The wind seems pretty obvious as it's blowing from the south to north, so I was thinking about using a vector arrow pointing in the + y direction. The cruising speed of the plane however seems a little trickier. Would I consider this to be the hypotenuse? Or just one of the other two sides of the right triangle?
Once the two values have been drawn I imagine you would use Pythagorean to find the other side and then calculate the angle.
Any advice?