Question

Two cyclists leave the corner of State Street and Main Street simultaneously. State Street and Main Street are not at right angles; the cyclists' paths have an angle of 135° between them. How far apart are the cyclists after they each travel 3 miles? The answers below are given in miles. Hint: Use the Law of Cosines

Answer 1

Answer:5.54 miles ( with the assumption both cyclist possess the same acceleration )

Step-by-step explanation:

Let a= distance between the cyclists

b= distance travelled by state street cycler

c = distance travelled by main street cycler

From the question b=c

Using cosine rule

a^2= b^2+c^2- 2*b*c *cos(135°)

a^2= 30.72

a= sqrt(30.72)

a= 5.54miles