Question

A whispering chamber is an elliptically arched chamber. A unique feature of a whispering chamber is that when a person standing at one focus of the ellipse whispers, he can be heard by a person standing at the other focus, regardless of the dimensions of the ellipse from which the dome is built.

Suppose that the dimensions of the ellipse used to create a whispering dome is 200 feet by 380 feet. Walter stands at one focus, and Barbara stands at the other focus.


How far apart are Walter and Barbara?


Enter your answer, rounded to the nearest tenth of a foot, in the box.

Answer 1

Its 323.1

Explanation:

I took the test gotta help out my fellow peers.

Answer 2

Distance between Walter and Barbara is 161.6 feet.

Explanation:

In the figure attached, ellipse represents an elliptically arched chamber.

At the point F1 (First focus) Walter is standing and at other point of the chamber F2 (Second focus) Barbara is standing.

Two axis of the elliptical chamber has been given as 200 feet and 380 feet.

Distance between them can be measured form

c² = a² - b²

Where c = distance between two focii

a = major axis

b = minor axis

From the given question, 2a = 380 ⇒ a = 190 feet

And 2b = 200 ⇒ a = 100 feet

Now c² = (190)² - (100)²

c² = 36100 - 10000

c² = 26100

c = √26100

c = 161.55 feet

Therefore, distance between Walter and Barbara is 161.6 feet.