Math Exam Woe: Unsolvable Bearing Question

  • Context: MHB 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Jayden1
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Bearing Exam
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a challenging math exam question involving bearings and distances between two lookout points, A and B, and a campfire. Participants express confusion over the interpretation of bearings and the feasibility of the problem as stated.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses frustration over the question, stating they struggled to understand bearings and found the problem impossible to solve.
  • Another participant agrees that the data provided seems impossible, suggesting a potential error in the question's wording.
  • A different participant speculates that the examiners may have intended to reference a different point (C) for the bearings, although they are unsure.
  • One participant notes that the ambiguity of the term "bearing" could lead to different interpretations, complicating the problem further.
  • Another participant emphasizes that the question is too ambiguous for an exam setting.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the question is ambiguous and potentially flawed, but there is no consensus on how to interpret the bearings or the implications for solving the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the ambiguity in the definition of bearings and the potential for different interpretations based on context, which may affect the solvability of the problem.

Jayden1
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
So basically, this one question messed me up in my maths exam today. Everything we went over yesterday concerning tangent lines/derivetives I went pretty well in.

The question was. There are two lookout points. A and B. There is a campirefire at a bearing of 40 degrees from A. From point B, the campfire is at a bearing of 20 degrees. From point B, A is at a bearing of 120 degrees. A and B are 10 km apart. Find the distance between A and the campfire.

I tried and tried, but I was unable to do it. Probably because I don't know what bearing is. I thought it meant in relation to north.EDIT: This seems rubbish. Taking these bearings is impossible. If A is located to the left of B, there is no way A's bearing will be more than Bs bearing (in relation to the campfire)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Jayden said:
So basically, this one question messed me up in my maths exam today. Everything we went over yesterday concerning tangent lines/derivetives I went pretty well in.

The question was. There are two lookout points. A and B. There is a campirefire at a bearing of 40 degrees from A. From point B, the campfire is at a bearing of 20 degrees. From point B, A is at a bearing of 120 degrees. A and B are 10 km apart. Find the distance between A and the campfire.

I tried and tried, but I was unable to do it. Probably because I don't know what bearing is. I thought it meant in relation to north.EDIT: This seems rubbish. Taking these bearings is impossible. If A is located to the left of B, there is no way A's bearing will be more than Bs bearing (in relation to the campfire)

Agreed, the given data is impossible.

CB
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Either I read it wrong, or the examiners will need to change the marks. The only thing I can think of is that maybe they meant take the bearing from C, not A/B. But I am pretty sure this is what it said.
 
Jayden said:
So basically, this one question messed me up in my maths exam today. Everything we went over yesterday concerning tangent lines/derivetives I went pretty well in.

The question was. There are two lookout points. A and B. There is a campirefire at a bearing of 40 degrees from A. From point B, the campfire is at a bearing of 20 degrees. From point B, A is at a bearing of 120 degrees. A and B are 10 km apart. Find the distance between A and the campfire.

I tried and tried, but I was unable to do it. Probably because I don't know what bearing is. I thought it meant in relation to north.EDIT: This seems rubbish. Taking these bearings is impossible. If A is located to the left of B, there is no way A's bearing will be more than Bs bearing (in relation to the campfire)

I believe this is impossible however you define bearing here, but I suspect the term is ambiguous. I understand the term bearing without qualification to be an angle measured from N clockwise. I think both the reference direction and the sense of the angle may be different in different contexts.

CB
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well either way. It's far too ambiguous for an exam question if you ask me.
 

Similar threads

MHB Find the Bearing from A to C & Angle B: Solve Here
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
MHB "Bearing" question - finding distance between two objects
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Undergrad Finding the New Azimuth Bearing for Triangulation in Geomagnetic Bearings
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
MHB Can WGS-84 Coordinates be Used to Calculate Closing Speeds for Airplanes?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Testing C & Python Resources for Problems in Astrophysics for upcoming CS Exam
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
In search of a non-linear way to prepare students for this unique exam
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Addition of bearings (Eastings/Northings)
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
MHB Approximating Trig Values using the Unit Circle
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
Other Questions about physics and math unsolved problems
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
Analyzing the Mechanics of a Wobble Plate in a Cranked Axle Mechanism
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K