Problem: If a glider has a glide ratio of 1/10, it means it goes down 1 foot for every 10 feet in travels horizantally. Suppose two gliders A and B start at the same height, glider A with glide ratio of 3/10 and glider B with glide ratio of 2/7. If they glide until they hit the ground, which one will have glided the farther horizantal distance?
2006-10-07 05:00:26 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Glider A has a glide ration of 3/10 multiply both numerator and denominator by 2 which gives 6/20 similary glider B has glide ratio of 2/7 muliplying numerator and denominator by 3 gives 6/21. Therefore B travels more horizontal distance than A for the same height. Hope it helps :)
2006-10-07 05:18:16 · answer #1 · answered by fsm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The glide ratio as you described it, is a measure of how steep the glider is descending towards the ground. In your example the glide ratio is 1/10 or 0.10. To have a picture of the flight of the glider, draw a right triangle with a base of 10 units along the horizontal and a height of 1 unit. The hypotenuse is the flight of the glider as it descends. Now suppose instead of 1 we reduce the height to a very small number close to zero with the base still equal to 10. This will give you a picture of the glider descending almost horizontally. In this case, we can say for practical purposes that the glide ratio is 0/10 or 0.
Now take another case where the glide ratio is the opposite...10/0. The height is 10 and the base is 0. That ratio will give you a very large number which we call infinity, i.e, 10/0 equals infinity. This will give you a picture of the glider diving vertically to the ground
So now, which do you think will travel the farther horizontal distance.. the glider with a glide ratio of 0 or the one with a glide ratio of infinity? Of course the one with the glide ratio of 0.
Therefore, the smaller the glide ratio the farther the horizontal distance travelled.
For the solution to the problem you gave, the glide ratio of A is 3/10 or 0.30, while that of B is 2/7 or 0.28. Therefore, B which has a smaller glide ratio will glide the farther horizontal distance.
The key to the solution of the problem you gave is the drawing of a diagram as I described here.
2006-10-07 06:31:02 · answer #2 · answered by tul b 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Glider B will travel the farthest since 7/2 = 3 1/2 > 10/3 = 3 1/3.
For example, if they both start at 6 feet off the ground, glider A will travel 20 feet and glider B will travel 21 feet.
2006-10-07 05:04:59 · answer #3 · answered by Joe C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Glide ratio is equivalent to the negative of a slope of a line. So glider A's path is a line with slope -3/10, and glider B's path is a line with slope -2/7. Both lines have the same y-intercept, since they start at the same height.
Because glider A's slope is a little steeper, glider B will have glided the farthest horizontal distance.
To see this, let H be the initial height. Then glider A's distance D1 satisfies H/D1 = 3/10, so D1=10H/3 = 3.3333H, while glider B's distance D2 is 7H/2 = 3.5H.
2006-10-07 05:07:46 · answer #4 · answered by James L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Find the Least Common Denominator to determine which glide ratio is the smaller one:
3/10 * 7/7 =
2/7 * 10/10 =
2006-10-07 05:16:14 · answer #5 · answered by arbiter007 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Glider A because 3/10 = 30%
wheraeas glider B 2/7 = 28%
2006-10-07 05:13:37 · answer #6 · answered by uloveme192 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The glider with the *smallest* glide ratio goes the furthest. Since 2/7 < 3/10, glider A will be on the ground first.
Doug
2006-10-07 05:04:45 · answer #7 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Hi,
its a simple problem.
First, lets assume that the height at which the gliders were at the start as h.
consider glider A
A will glide at 3/10.
So , if A will have to move a feet down then it will have to move 10/3 feet horizontally.
Similary,
As B will glide at 2/7, it will move 7/2 feet in the horizontal for every 1 feet glide.
So, to fall h feet A will have to move (10/3)h = (3.3333333333333333333333333333333) h feet
and B will have to move (7/2)h = (3.5)h feet.
Substitute anything for h.
Hope you understood it.
Peace out.
2006-10-07 05:12:37 · answer #8 · answered by Pradyumna N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lets say they start 6m above the ground. Glider A will travel 20m before it drops 6m to the ground. Glider B will travel 21m before it drops 6m to the ground. 3/10 = 6/20 (drops 6, travels 20)
2/7= 6/21 (drops 6, travels 21)
You have to make the numerator the same on both sides.
2006-10-07 05:15:22 · answer #9 · answered by Jimbo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A: 3/10 = 21/70
B: 2/7 = 20/70
OR
A: 3/10 = 6/20
B: 2/7 = 6/21
ANSWER : B!
2006-10-07 05:58:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋