What is the velocity and angle of a man walking on a moving ship?

In summary, the man walking diagonally towards the bow of the ship has a velocity of 7.8224 m/s relative to the water at an angle of 64.998 degrees with respect to his intended path. The formula to find the angle is cos(theta) = v*vx/(v*vb), with vb being the velocity of the boat.
  • #1
anna_chem
7
0

Homework Statement


A ship cruises forward at Vs= 5 m/s relative to the water. On deck, a man walks diagonally toward the bow such that his path forms an angle of 25 degrees with a line perpendicular to the boat's direction of motion. He walks at Vm= 3 m/s relative to the boat. What is his velocity relative to the water? And at what angle to his intended path does the man walk with respect to the water?


Homework Equations


vector magnitude and dot product


The Attempt at a Solution


I found the velocity of the man to be 7.8224 m/s by finding the x component of the velocity vector and the y component and then taking the magnitude. Our instructor told us we should use the dot product to find the angle that the man walks relative to the water, and I'm not sure if I calculated it right. I came up with 64.998 degrees.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Velocity vector is written as
v = (vx*i + vy*j) vb = vb*i
So cosθ = v.vx/(v*vb)
 
  • #3
So, our instructor helped us with the velocity magnitude. He gave [(5 + 3*cos25)^2 + (3*sin25)^2]^(1/2), is this not correct?
 
  • #4
anna_chem said:
So, our instructor helped us with the velocity magnitude. He gave [(5 + 3*cos25)^2 + (3*sin25)^2]^(1/2), is this not correct?
That is correct.
The formula in my post is to find the angle between the resultant velocity and the velocity of the boat with respect to the water.
 
  • #5
rl.bhat said:
Velocity vector is written as
v = (vx*i + vy*j) vb = vb*i
So cosθ = v.vx/(v*vb)

So, is it supposed to be cos(theta) = v*vx/(v*vb)? And is vb the velocity of the boat?
 
  • #6
anna_chem said:
So, is it supposed to be cos(theta) = v*vx/(v*vb)? And is vb the velocity of the boat?

Yes.
 
  • #7
Thank you very much for your help!
 

Related to What is the velocity and angle of a man walking on a moving ship?

1. What is kinematics and why is it important?

Kinematics is the study of motion, specifically the description of the position, velocity, and acceleration of objects. It is important because it allows us to understand and predict the movement of objects, which is crucial in fields such as engineering, physics, and robotics.

2. What are the basic equations used in kinematics calculations?

The basic equations used in kinematics calculations include the position equation (x = x0 + vt), the velocity equation (v = v0 + at), and the acceleration equation (a = (v - v0)/t), where x is the position, v is the velocity, a is the acceleration, t is time, and x0 and v0 are the initial position and velocity, respectively.

3. How does kinematics differ from dynamics?

Kinematics is the study of motion without considering the forces that cause it, while dynamics is the study of motion in relation to the forces that cause it. In other words, kinematics focuses on the description of motion, while dynamics focuses on the causes of motion.

4. Can kinematics be applied to all types of motion?

Yes, kinematics can be applied to all types of motion, whether it is linear, circular, or projectile motion. However, the equations and calculations may vary depending on the type of motion.

5. How can kinematics calculations be used in real-world applications?

Kinematics calculations have numerous real-world applications, such as designing and analyzing the motion of vehicles, predicting the trajectory of a projectile, and understanding the movement of objects in physics experiments. They are also used in fields such as sports, video game development, and animation.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
9
Views
5K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
6K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
994
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
891
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
2K
Back
Top