The lion first runs 200 yards at 20 deg. south of west, then 300 yards at 40 deg. west of north, and finally 400 yards at 10 deg east of north at which point it catches up to the deer. How far from the starting point, and in what direction is the point where the lion and the deer meet?

Question

How do I set up the problem?

Answer 1

set the staring point at (0,0)
Now, figure the relative displacement of each leg of the trip:

(200 cos(180-20)°, 200 sin(180-20)°)
(300 cos(90+40)°, 300 sin(90+40)°)
(400 cos(90-10)°, 400 sin(90-10)°)

Now just add up the x- and y-displacements to get the final location.