Trigonometric Unit Lesson 1
Activity
Unit Activity
In this activity will be worked on throughout the unit and a final
solution should be gained after lesson 2 either as an assignment
or as a Lesson 3, the problem solving session, assignment.
A plane takes of from the Atlanta airport and travels due east for 200 miles. It then changes course and heads 700 north of East (The plane turned 700 toward the north). After flying 300 miles in this direction, the plane suddenly develops engine trouble. The navigator calculates there is enough fuel left to fly only 375 miles. Can the plane return to the Atlanta airport or must the pilot seek a closer one to make an emergency landing? If it can return, in what direction must it head for the shortest return?
Click here to see the GSP sketch.
As you can see from the sketch, the figure does not contain a right triangle, so it is an oblique triangle. Therefore, to solve the problem, we need to know how to solve oblique triangles.
Lesson 1 Activity
Click here to go to the
GSP activity