Time to cover a ground distance.

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the migration of Canadian geese, specifically how to calculate the angle and time required for a bird to travel directly southward while accounting for wind resistance. The bird flies at 100 km/h with a 30 km/h wind from west to east, resulting in a heading of 17.5 degrees west of south. To determine the time to cover a ground distance of 600 km, the bird's effective speed relative to the ground must be calculated, factoring in the wind's influence.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector addition in physics
  • Knowledge of trigonometric functions, specifically inverse tangent
  • Familiarity with speed, distance, and time calculations
  • Basic principles of bird navigation using the Earth's magnetic field
NEXT STEPS
  • Calculate the effective speed of the bird relative to the ground using vector components
  • Learn about vector resolution and how to apply it in real-world scenarios
  • Explore the effects of wind on flight paths in avian migration studies
  • Investigate the methods birds use for navigation, including magnetic field orientation
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, ornithologists, and anyone interested in the mechanics of animal migration and navigation techniques.

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Homework Statement

Canadian geese migrate essentially along a north-south direction for well over a thousand kilometers in some cases, traveling at speeds up to about 100 km/h . If one such bird is flying at 100 km/h relative to the air, but there is a 30.0km/h wind blowing from west to east. At what angle relative to the north-south direction should this bird head so that it will be traveling directly southward relative to the ground?

I calculated this part, and was correct -- 17.5 degrees to the west of south. My question is part b:

How long will it take the bird to cover a ground distance of 600 km from north to south? (Note: Even on cloudy nights, many birds can navigate using the Earth's magnetic field to fix the north-south direction.) In Hours!



Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

I was able to calculate part A, however I do not know where to go with part B. Thanks!
 
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I should add -- I did the inverse tangent(30/100) in order to figure out the 17.
 
Calculate the bird's speed with respect to the ground.
 

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