Find Ground Speed

[Haven_Quartet]

An airplane has an airspeed of 500 kilometers per hour in an easterly direction. If the wind velocity is 60 kilometers per hour in a northwesterly direction, find the speed of the airplane relative to the ground.

I need the set up. I know the law of cosines is used here but don't know how to set it up. I am also having trouble drawing a picture that represents the situation.

 

[Deleted member 4993]

An airplane has an airspeed of 500 kilometers per hour in an easterly direction. If the wind velocity is 60 kilometers per hour in a northwesterly direction, find the speed of the airplane relative to the ground.

I need the set up. I know the law of cosines is used here but don't know how to set it up. I am also having trouble drawing a picture that represents the situation.

Please post some "similar" example problems (with solutions that you fully understand) from your text-book -so that we know where to begin to explain.

 

[Steven G]

An airplane has an airspeed of 500 kilometers per hour in an easterly direction. If the wind velocity is 60 kilometers per hour in a northwesterly direction, find the speed of the airplane relative to the ground.

I need the set up. I know the law of cosines is used here but don't know how to set it up. I am also having trouble drawing a picture that represents the situation.

You can try to draw the diagram. If you made a mistake then we can talk about it. I an am sure that you can deaw draw a diagram showing that the plane is going to the east.