Math Problem Statement

An aircraft flies due north from A for a distance of 360km(3.6×10 5 m) to point B. Its average speed between A and B is 170ms −1 . At B the aircraft is forced to change course and flies due east for a distance of 100km to arrive at C.the time of the journey is 2100 seconds, the distance at c from a is 374km, whats the bearing of c from a

Solution

To find the bearing of C from A, we need to determine the angle θ\theta that the line ACAC makes with the due north direction.

Step 1: Identify Key Information

  • AB=360AB = 360 km
  • BC=100BC = 100 km
  • AC=374AC = 374 km

We have a right-angled triangle ABC\triangle ABC, where:

  • ABAB is the northward leg.
  • BCBC is the eastward leg.
  • ACAC is the hypotenuse.

Step 2: Find the Bearing Angle θ\theta

The bearing of C from A is measured clockwise from north to the line ACAC. This means we need to find the angle θ\theta where:

θ=tan1(BCAB)\theta = \tan^{-1} \left( \frac{BC}{AB} \right)

Substituting values:

θ=tan1(100360)\theta = \tan^{-1} \left( \frac{100}{360} \right)

θ=tan1(0.2778)\theta = \tan^{-1} (0.2778)

θ15.4\theta \approx 15.4^\circ

Step 3: Final Bearing

Bearings are measured clockwise from north, so the bearing of C from A is:

015.4\mathbf{015.4^\circ}


Do you want further clarification or step-by-step breakdown?

Here are five related questions for practice:

  1. What would be the bearing if the aircraft had traveled west instead of east?
  2. How would the bearing change if BCBC was longer?
  3. How can the Pythagorean theorem verify the distance ACAC?
  4. How would you determine the total displacement of the aircraft?
  5. What is the aircraft's average velocity during the journey?

Tip:

Bearings are always given in three-digit notation, so if the calculated angle is less than 100°, add a leading zero (e.g., 015015^\circ instead of 1515^\circ).

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Bearings
Right-Angled Triangles
Inverse Tangent Function

Formulas

\( \theta = \tan^{-1} \left( \frac{BC}{AB} \right) \)

Theorems

Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12