MHB Trigonometry mountain assessment problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter jenherting
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Trigonometry
Click For Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the lengths of timber supports for a roller coaster track designed as a sinusoid. The high and low points of the track are 50 meters apart horizontally and 30 meters apart vertically, with the low point positioned 3 meters below ground level. Participants emphasize the importance of showing progress in problem-solving to receive effective assistance. The equation needed to express the track's height above ground in terms of horizontal distance is suggested to be in the form y = a*sin(bx + c) + d. Clarification is sought regarding the low point's elevation, highlighting the need for accuracy in problem parameters.
jenherting
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
A portion of a roller coaster track is to built in the shape of a sinusoid. You have been hired to calculate the lengths of the horizontal and vertical timber supports to be used. The high and low points on the track are separated by 50 meters horizontally and by 30 meters vertically. The low point is 3 meters below ground. Let y be the number of meters the track is above the ground and x be the number of meters horizontally from the high point, write an equation expressing y in terms of x.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Hello and welcome to MHB, jenherting! :D

We ask that our users show their progress (work thus far or thoughts on how to begin) when posting questions. This way our helpers can see where you are stuck or may be going astray and will be able to post the best help possible without potentially making a suggestion which you have already tried, which would waste your time and that of the helper.

Can you post what you have done so far?
 
So far the work that I have was I drew a sketch of the graph itself and now I just need help on how to write the equation and what parts of the problem represents the aspects of a sinusoidal equation.
 
jenherting said:
The low point is 3 meters below ground.

This seems odd. Are you sure it's not 3 meters above the ground?

You need an equation of the form

$$y=a\sin(bx+c)+d$$

Any thoughts on where to begin?
 

Thread 'Area of Overlapping Squares'

Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?
View full post »

Similar threads

MHB Trigonometry Help: Model Daylight Hours in Lowell, MA 2020
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
What is the relationship between horizontal and vertical radii in a bent pipe?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
How to compute the magnitude of a initial velocity u
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Projectile Motion of a Football Problem
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
5K
Finding the equations of a graph
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
MHB Angle of elevation and depression problems
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
MHB What mistake did I make while solving the Ferris wheel trig problem?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
6K
Undergrad How to Land a Tree Flat in 3/4 Rotation: Solving the Equations
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
Maximum kinetic friction-combined with a projectile problem
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
SLORWhat is the first derivative of a sinusoidal function?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
12K