Question

An airplane is flying at a velocity of 500 miles per hour due north when it encounters a wind blowing out of the west at 50 miles per hour. What is the magnitude of the airplanes resultant velocity? Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.

Answer 1

V 1 = 500 mph,
v 2 = 50 mph
The resultant velocity:
v r² =  v 1 ² + v 2 ²
v r ² = 500² + 50² = 250,000 + 2,500 = 252,500
v r = √252,500 = 502.49378 ≈ 502.49 mph
Answer: the magnitude of the resultant velocity is 502.49 mph.