Chapter 12.6, Problem 38PPSE

Solution

To find: The distance flown by the airplane.

The distance flown by the airplane is approximately 228.98 miles.

Given information:

Given, a small airplane lands at a point 216 mi east and 76 mi north of the point from which it took off.

Calculation:

The vector representing the position of the airplane from the starting point is $〈216,76〉$

The distance between the airplane and the starting point is given by the magnitude of the vector.

The magnitude of the vector $〈216,76〉$ is

  $\begin{array}{l}d=\sqrt{{\left(216\right)}^2+{\left(76\right)}^2}\\ d=\sqrt{46656+5776}\\ d=\sqrt{52432}\\ d\approx 228.98\end{array}$

Conclusion:

The distance flown by the airplane is approximately 228.98 miles.