I was bored, and I saw this problem on another forum. Let's see if any of you people can get this one :)

A plane flies over a radar tower six miles above the ground. The distance between the plane and base of the tower is increasing at a rate of 400 mph. When the plane is ten miles out from the tower, at what speed is the plane traveling?

V=?

Quick semi-formal calculation...

[code]


b=10mi
>---->---->---->---->----> plane
| ----
| ----
a=6mi| ----
| ---- c
| ----
+---
Tower




c = sqrt(a^2 + b^2) = sqrt(10^2 + 6^2)

b = (c^2 - a^2)^0.5

a' = da/dt = 0
c' = dc/dt = 400 mph

b' = db/dt = c'*2*c*0.5*(c^2 - a^2)^-0.5 = c' * c/b = 400 * sqrt(136)/10 ~= 466 mph

[/code]


Does it look right?


edit: edited values that i'd misread

400mph?

You dont *need* calculus to do that. Just makes life easier. Btw this belongs in Yoni's math forum :)

Oh, oops. Well, insert the right value into the formula, and then see if it looks right? :P