Homework Help Forum: math

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 8:05pm.

When a pilot banks an aircraft moving at a speed, v, in metres per second, at an angle a, the radius of the turn that results is given by the formula: r = v^2/g * tan(pi/2 - a) where g is the accelatation due to gravity, or 9.8 m/s^2. Use an appropriate equivalent trigonometric expression to show that this formula can be simplified to: r= v^2 / (g*tana)

• math - Reiny, Friday, November 6, 2009 at 8:33pm

  pi/2-a and a are complementary angles. the trig ratio of any angle is the co-ratio of the complement of that angle. e.g. sin 70 = cos 20 sec 25 = csc 65 and tan (pi/2 - a) = cot a so r = v^2/g * tan(pi/2 - a) = v^2/g * cot a = v^2/g * 1/tan a = v^2/(g*tan a)

  
  

Answer this Question

First Name:
School Subject:
Answer:

For Further Reading