Problema Solution

Part 1: From a 220 feet high lighthouse in the Bahamas island of Nassau, a person sees a ship on the horizon. Due to the curvature of earth, how far is the ship from the lighthouse?

Use the formula: d = sqrt[3h/2], where d is the distance in nautical miles and h is the height in feet.

Provide a similar example of when you were close to the beach, or elsewhere. Estimate how high above sea level you are and find how far the ship is from you.

Part 2: An application of a rational function is T = (AB)/(A+B), which gives the time, T, it takes for two workers to complete a particular task where A & B represent the time it would take for each individual worker to complete the identical task working alone. It takes William 3 hours longer than Timothy to paint a 4x 5 feet bedroom. Respond to the following:

Working together, both can complete the job in 2 hours. How long does it take each one to complete the painting job working alone?

Provide a similar example, set up the equation and solve the problem.

Answer provided by our tutors

Part 1:


h = 220 feet

d = sqrt[3h/2] = sqrt[3*220/2] = 18.17 miles

Assume that I'm 100 feet high, the distance I can find how far the ship is from me is d = sqrt[3h/2] = sqrt[3*100/2] = 12.25 miles


Part 2:


William: (x+3) hours

Timothy: x hours

Time working together = x(x+3)/(x+x+3)= x(x+3)/(2x+3) = 2

x = 3

So

William: 6 hours

Timothy: 3 hours

Example:

Assume

William: (x+1) hours

Timothy: x hours

Time working together = x(x+1)/(x+x+1)= x(x+1)/(2x+1) = 12/7

x = 3

So

William: 4 hours

Timothy: 3 hours