Question

Hi, I need help with this question and it's really confusing me. I have no idea how to approach it. Could someone help me? Thanks in advance!
Question: Ship A receives a distress signal from the east, and ship B receives a distress signal from the same vessel from the northwest. At what location is the vessel in distress located?

Answer 1

no way to tell. If you draw a diagram (with D as the distressed ship), then draw a line west from D, and a line southeast from D.

Ships A and B can be anywhere on these two lines.
More information is needed.

Answer 2

Hi Steve, thanks for answering. Here's more information: I do have a picture provided and Ship A on the graph is located at (2, 1) and Ship B is located on the graph at (1, 4).

Answer 3

I think I got the answer: (2,3).

Answer 4

If your wording is .... "ship B receives a distress signal from the same vessel from the SOUTHEAST "(meaning: in the direction of Northwest)
Otherwise the diagram cannot be drawn.

so we have AB = √((2-1)^2 + (1-4)^2) = √10
slope AB = 3/-1 = -3
So tan^-1(-3) = 108.435° , (tan^-1 (3) = 71.565°) , 71.565-45 = 26.565

Using some basic geometry, angle ABD = 26.565°
By the sine law,
AD/sin26.565 = √10/sin45
AD = .6325
so D is located at (2.6325 , 1)

check my arithmetic

Answer 5

You would have to realize that the distressed ship could not have been at (2,3).
ship A, which was at (2,1) received the signal from the east, so the y value of the distressed ship would have to be 1, with AD a horizontal line.