Question

For two hours, a boat sails straight from port A to port C with a speed of 50 miles per hour. Port B is due east of port A, and the bearing of line segment BC is 20 degrees south west. Find the bearing of line segment AC. I really don't know what's the first thing to do.

Answer 1

I interpret your language to mean that BC is 20° south of west.

I assume that the two-hour cruise from A actually arrived at port C, meaning AC is 100 mi.

In problems like this, the first thing to do is <u>always</b> to draw a diagram. If you cannot do that, you have no hope of solving the problem.

So. Now you have a triangle with the angle between AB and BC is 20°, and AC = 100.

There is something missing here. All we have is one angle and the side opposite it. That gives us no way to figure the other angles. Do we know how far B is from A or C?</u>