Vector Addition: Calculating Bird's Speed in Southerly Direction

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the resultant speed of a bird flying south at 50 km/h while facing an eastward wind of 30 km/h. Using vector addition and the Pythagorean theorem, the correct approach involves considering both the bird's southward speed and the eastward wind speed. The resultant speed can be calculated using the formula C = √(A² + B²), where A is the southward speed (50 km/h) and B is the eastward wind speed (30 km/h). The correct resultant speed is approximately 58.31 km/h, not 20 km/h as initially suggested by a participant.

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A bird can manage 50 KmHr-1 in still air. There is a wind blowing eastward at 30kmhr-1, the bird wishes to travel south. The resultant speed the bird carries in the southerly direction is?



For equations i just used vector addition, and pythagorous (A2+B2=C2)



The first time i thought about this problem, i assumed the speed stayed the same, and the bird just got blown of coarse this is in correct though. So i did vector addition, which is obviously wrong as I had to include the southern speed (50kmHr-1).
 
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Vector addition is correct. What vectors are involved, though? One is the air velocity. What other vectors?

Cheers -- sylas
 
Hello..

For some reason I come up with 20km/hr.

Bye.
 

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