Question
Marv and Elvis are each flying a kite when they collide. At the point where the kites collide, Marv’s string is 25 meters and makes a 35O angle with the horizontal, while Elvis’ string is 20.25 meters and makes a 45O angle with the horizontal. How far apart are Marv and Elvis?
Answers
oobleck
Draw a diagram, and you can see that the angle between the strings is 10°
so, use the law of cosines to find the distance d:
d^2 = 25^2 + 20.25^2 - 2*20*20.25 cos10°
so, use the law of cosines to find the distance d:
d^2 = 25^2 + 20.25^2 - 2*20*20.25 cos10°