The Flight Path of a Duck: Analyzing Distance and Direction

What is the flight path of a duck traveling in a straight line for 500 m at an angle of 60 degrees north of west?

What are the components of the duck's flight path in the westward and northward directions?

Answer:

The duck flies in a straight line for 500 m at an angle of 60 degrees north of west. The westward component of the flight path is 250 m, and the northward component is 433.01 m.

When analyzing the flight path of the duck, it is essential to consider both the distance traveled and the direction in which it is moving. In this scenario, the duck covers a distance of 500 m at an angle of 60 degrees north of west.

To determine the components of the flight path, we can use trigonometric functions. Let x represent the westward component and y represent the northward component. By applying the cosine function for the westward component and the sine function for the northward component, we can calculate:

x = 500 * cos(60) = 250 m

y = 500 * sin(60) = 433.01 m

Therefore, the duck's flight path consists of a westward component of 250 m and a northward component of 433.01 m. This information allows us to understand the direction in which the duck is moving and the distance it covers in each direction.