Two military jets are engaged in a dogfight. The US plane is traveling at a velocity of 22 m/s east while the Russian plane is traveling at a velocity of 19.5 m/s west. When the US pilot reports spotting the Russian plane, how fast will it say the Russian is going?
V = 22 - (-19.5) = 41.5 m/s.
To determine how fast the US pilot will say the Russian plane is going, we need to consider their relative velocity. The US plane is moving east with a velocity of 22 m/s, while the Russian plane is moving west with a velocity of 19.5 m/s.
To calculate the relative velocity, we subtract the velocity of the Russian plane from the velocity of the US plane:
Relative velocity = Velocity of US plane - Velocity of Russian plane
Relative velocity = 22 m/s - (-19.5 m/s) (note: since the Russian plane is moving in the opposite direction, its velocity is considered negative)
Relative velocity = 22 m/s + 19.5 m/s
Relative velocity = 41.5 m/s
Therefore, the US pilot will say that the Russian plane is moving at a speed of 41.5 m/s (in the opposite direction).