Math Problem Statement

An airliner passes over an airport at noon traveling 530 mi/hr due east. At 1:00 p.m., another airliner passes over the same airport at the same elevation traveling due south at 570 mi/hr. Assuming both airliners maintain their (equal) elevations, how fast is the distance between them changing at 3:00 p.m.?

Solution

To solve this problem, let's break it down into several steps.

Given Information

  1. Airliner 1 (Eastbound): Passes over the airport at noon, moving east at 530 mi/hr530 \text{ mi/hr}.
  2. Airliner 2 (Southbound): Passes over the airport at 1:001:00 p.m., moving south at 570 mi/hr570 \text{ mi/hr}.
  3. We want to find how fast the distance between them is changing at 3:003:00 p.m.

Step-by-Step Solution

  1. Define Variables:

    • Let x(t)x(t) be the eastward distance of Airliner 1 from the airport.
    • Let y(t)y(t) be the southward distance of Airliner 2 from the airport.
    • Let d(t)d(t) represent the distance between the two airliners at time tt.
  2. Set Up Timeframes:

    • Airliner 1 started at noon, so by 3:003:00 p.m., it has been traveling for 33 hours.
    • Airliner 2 started at 1:001:00 p.m., so by 3:003:00 p.m., it has been traveling for 22 hours.
  3. Position of Each Airliner:

    • Eastbound Airliner 1: x(t)=530×3=1590 milesx(t) = 530 \times 3 = 1590 \text{ miles}
    • Southbound Airliner 2: y(t)=570×2=1140 milesy(t) = 570 \times 2 = 1140 \text{ miles}
  4. Distance Between Airliners:

    • Using the Pythagorean theorem, the distance dd between the two airliners at 3:003:00 p.m. is: d=x2+y2=15902+11402d = \sqrt{x^2 + y^2} = \sqrt{1590^2 + 1140^2}
  5. Rate of Change of Distance (Differentiate):

    • To find the rate of change of dd, we apply implicit differentiation to the distance formula d=x2+y2d = \sqrt{x^2 + y^2}: dddt=xdxdt+ydydtd\frac{dd}{dt} = \frac{x \cdot \frac{dx}{dt} + y \cdot \frac{dy}{dt}}{d}
    • Given: dxdt=530 mi/hr,dydt=570 mi/hr\frac{dx}{dt} = 530 \text{ mi/hr}, \quad \frac{dy}{dt} = 570 \text{ mi/hr}
  6. Substitute Values and Solve:

    • Plugging the known values into the derivative equation will yield the rate at which the distance between the planes is changing at 3:003:00 p.m.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Related Rates
Pythagorean Theorem
Implicit Differentiation

Formulas

Distance formula: d = sqrt(x^2 + y^2)
Rate of change formula: dd/dt = (x * dx/dt + y * dy/dt) / d

Theorems

Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 11-12