Two cruise ships leave the same point outside St. John’s harbor at noon. Ship A travels west at 20 km/hr, while Ship B travels south at 25 km/hr. Using calculus, determine how fast they are separating from each other at 2:00 p.m.

Answer 1

draw a diagram. At time t hours, the distance z is

z^2 = (20t)^2 + (25t)^2

now just figure dz/dt at t=2.