During takeoff, an airplane climbs with a speed of 110 m/s at an angle of 44 degrees above the horizontal. The speed and direction of the airplane constitute a vector quantity known as the velocity. The sun is shining directly overhead. How fast is the shadow of the plane moving along the ground? (That is, what is the magnitude of the horizontal component of the plane's velocity?)
1 answer
The plane's velocity vector is the hypotenuse of a right triangle. You know its magnitude and angle, and you need to find the base's magnitude.