Math Exam Woe: Unsolvable Bearing Question

[Jayden1]

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)

 

[CaptainBlack]

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

 

[Jayden1]

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.

 

[CaptainBlack]

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

 

[Jayden1]

Well either way. It's far too ambiguous for an exam question if you ask me.