Asked by Anonymous

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?
Answered by Steve
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.
Answered by Anonymous
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).
Answered by Anonymous
I think I got the answer: (2,3).
Answered by Reiny
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
Answered by Reiny
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.
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