In still air an aircraft flies at 200 m/s . The aircraft is heading due north in still air when it flies into a steady wind of 50 m/s blowing from the west. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant velocity?
Vector diagram showing an aircraft flying at 200 m/s north with a wind blowing at 50 m/s from west. Therefore the problem involves pythagoras theorem.
So, the Magnitude of the resultant velocity is given by: Vr = squareroot of the addition of (2002 + 502) = 210m/s.
The direction of the resultant velocity is given by: Theta = tan-1(opp/adj = 50/200) = 14 degrees.
MP
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