You are boating on a river that flows toward the east. Because of your knowledge of physics, you head your...

Question

You are boating on a river that flows toward the east. Because of your knowledge of physics, you head your boat 53 degrees west of north and have a velocity of 6.0 m/s due north relative to the shore.

a. What is the velocity of the current?

b. What is the speed of your boat relative to the water?

Please help me with this problem.
I'm having trouble understanding it.

Answer 1

If you ever have trouble understanding a question, try re-reading it, highlighting 'key facts' and then drawing a picture.

In this case the points are:
*River FLOWS toward the EAST
*You head your boat 53 DEGREES WEST of NORTH
*VELOCITY of 6.0 m/s due NORTH, RELATIVE to the shore

Now draw that picture:

* 'river flows east'
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now, what is 53 degrees west of north? Well, we've got a line pointing due North:
^
|
|
|

So 53degrees to the west (or left) of it would be:

~~~~~~~|
~~\~~~~~|
~~~\~~~~|
~~~~\~~~|
~~~~~\~~|
~~~~~~\~|
~~~~~~~\|

Now put it back in context of the problem, let's see that river:
>>>>>>>>
>>\>>>>>
>>>\>>>>
>>>>\>>>
>>>>>\>>
>>>>>>\>
>>>>>>>\>

*Velocity of 6.0 m/s relative to the shore.
This means that even though we aren't aiming straight, we end up moving that way in the end. The river is constantly pushing us right (note the right arrows), and this counters our movement left, getting us to move forward. To bring back the image:
>>>>>>>\>>>>>
>>>>>>>\>>>>
>>>>>>>\>>>
>>>>>>>\>>
>>>>>>>\>
>>>>>>>\>


Part 'a' is asking you, "since we know that the end movement is you going north at 6.0m/s, how fast must the current be going ?

Part 'b' is asking you, "since we know how fast the current is going, and how fast you're going north, how fast are you going to the side?"

-AHMAD

Answer 2

In words......... The triangle is a three-4-5 precise triangle with the hypotenuse pointing fifty 3° W of N, the quick leg factors promptly around the river, and the long leg factors upstream. H = boat velocity with the aid of water S = velocity of the boat around the river (relative to river backside) L = modern-day velocity desire this facilitates,

Answer 3

53 degrees is one angle of a 3,4,5 right triangle. Your progress north (6.0 m/s) is one side, the current is the perpendicular side, and your rowing speed is the hypotenuse.

3,4,5 is (what's the geometry term? - symmetric?) symmetric with a 6,8,10 triangle.

So the current is 8 m/s and your rowing speed is 10 m/s

Answer 4

use your earth science reference tables