As part of an interview for a summer job with the Coast Guard, you are asked to

Question

As part of an interview for a summer job with the Coast Guard, you are asked to help determine the search area for two sunken ships by calculating their velocity just after they collided. According to the last radio trasmission from the mH=40000 ton luxury liner, the Hedonist, it was going due west at a speed of vH=10.3 m/s in calm seas through a rare fog just before it was struck broadside by the mI=60,000-ton freighter, the Ironhorse, which was traveling north at vI=5.1 m/s. The trasmission also noted that when the frieighter's bow pierced the hull of the liner, the two ships stuck together and sank together.

Explanation / Answer

Applying momentum conservation for collision,

initial momentum = final momentum

40000 x 10.3(-i)   + 60000 x 5.1j = (60000 + 40000)vf

vf = - 4.12i + 3.06j m/s

this is the velocity with which both ship moving together after collision.

direction of velocity = tan^-1(3.06 / 4.12) = 36.6 deg north of west.

so search have to go at angle 36.6 deg north of west from collision position.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.