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A ship sets sail from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, heading due north at 7.00 m/s relative to the water. The local ocean current is 1.53 m/s in a direction 40° north of east. What is the velocity of the ship in meters per second relative to the Earth in degrees north of east?

User Flo Doe
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1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

8.07 m/s, 81.7º NE.

Step-by-step explanation:

  • The ship, due to the local ocean current, will be deviated from its original due north bearing.
  • In order to find the magnitude of the velocity of the ship, we need to convert a vector equation, in an algebraic one.
  • If we choose two axes coincident with the N-S and W-E directions, we can find the components of the velocity along these directions.
  • Clearly, the velocity of the ship, relative to water, is only due north, so it has no component along the W-E axis.
  • The local ocean current, as it is directed at an angle between both axes, has components along these axes.
  • These components can be found from the projections of the velocity vector along these axes, as follows:


vocx = voc* cos 40 = 1.53 m/s * 0.766 = 1.17 m/s\\vocy = voc* sin 40 = 1.53 m/s * 0.643 = 0.98 m/s

  • The component along the N-S axis (y-axis) of the velocity of the ship will be the sum of the velocity relative to water, plus the component of the ocean current along this same axis:


vshy = vsw + vwy = 7.00 m/s + 0.98 m/s = 7.98 m/s

  • The component along the W-E axis, is just the component of the local ocean current in this direction:

vshx = 1.17 m/s

  • We can find the magnitude of the velocity vector, applying the Pythagorean theorem, as follows:


v = \sqrt{vshx^(2) + vshy^(2) } =\sqrt{(7.98m/s)^(2) +(1.17m/s)^(2) } =8.07 m/s

  • The direction of the vector relative to the W-E axis (measured in counterclockwise direction) is given by the relative magnitude of the x and y components, as follows:


tg \theta = (vshy)/(vshx) = (7.98)/(1.17) = 6.82 \\ \theta = tg^(-1) (6.82)\\ \theta= 81.7\deg

  • The velocity of the ship, relative to Earth, is 8.07 m/s, 81.7º North of East.