Homework Help: Math (Trig.)

Posted by Connor on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:47pm.

A boat sailing from A to B travels in a straight line until the captain realizes he is off course. The boat is turned through an angle of 60 degrees, then travels another 10 km to B. The trip would have been 4 km shorter if the boat had gone straight from A to B. How far did the boat travel?

Math (Trig.) - agrin04, Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 10:07pm
Assume that the distance travelled before turning 60 degrees is x
The total distance travelled = x+10
Distance A-B in straight line = x + 6

Use the cosine rule:
(x+6)^2 = x^2 + 100 - (2*x*10*cos(120))

Finish the calculation, you'll find x. Total distance travelled will be (x + 10)
Math (Trig.) - Anonymous, Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 8:55am
15.8

Answer this Question

Related Questions

Pre-Calculus-Trig - A lighthouse keeper 100 feet above the water sees a boat ...
Pre-Calculus-Trig - A boat travels for 8 kilometers in a straight line from the ...
Math (Calculus) - At 2:00 pm boat K is 25 km north of boat L. If boat K is ...
Physics - A boat sets off perpendicular to the bank, to cross a river width of ...
Precalc - A boat that travels at 16 knots in calm water is sailing across a ...
physics - A boat travels at 3.8 m/s and heads straight across a river 240 m wide...
Math - A boat travels 45 miles upstream in 5h. The boat travels the same ...
Physics - A boat is at a point 120km West and 60km South of its destination. It ...
Physics - A speed boat at rest begins to move in a straight line from a dock. ...
physics - A power boat of mass 465 kg is cruising at a constant speed of 8.9 m/s...

For Further Reading

First Name:
School Subject:
Answer: