Question

A flock of ducks is trying to migrate south for the winter, but they keep being blown off course by a wind blowing from the west at 5.0 m/s . A wise elder duck finally realizes that the solution is to fly at an angle to the wind.If the ducks can fly at 7.0 m/s relative to the air, what direction should they head in order to move directly south?

Answer 1

The ducks' flight path as observed by someone standing on the ground is the sum of the wind velocity and the ducks' velocity relative to the wind:

ducks (relative to wind) + wind (relative to Earth) = ducks (relative to Earth)

or equivalently,

$\vec v_{D/W}+\vec v_{W/E}=\vec v_{D/E}$

(see the attached graphic)

We have

• ducks (relative to wind) = 7.0 m/s in some direction θ relative to the positive horizontal direction, or

$\vec v_{D/W}=\left(7.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}\right)(\cos\theta\,\vec\imath+\sin\theta\,\vec\jmath)$

• wind (relative to Earth) = 5.0 m/s due East, or

$\vec v_{W/E}=\left(5.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}\right)(\cos0^\circ\,\vec\imath+\sin0^\circ\,\vec\jmath)$

• ducks (relative to earth) = some speed v due South, or

$\vec v_{D/E}=v(\cos270^\circ\,\vec\imath+\sin270^\circ\,\vec\jmath)$

Then by setting components equal, we have

$\left(7.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}\right)\cos\theta+5.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}=0$

$\left(7.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}\right)\sin\theta=-v$

We only care about the direction for this question, which we get from the first equation:

$\left(7.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}\right)\cos\theta=-5.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}$

$\cos\theta=-\dfrac57$

$\theta=\cos^{-1}\left(-\dfrac57\right)\text{ OR }\theta=360^\circ-\cos^{-1}\left(-\dfrac57\right)$

or approximately 136º or 224º.

Only one of these directions must be correct. Choosing between them is a matter of picking the one that satisfies both equations. We want

$\left(7.0\dfrac{\rm m}{\rm s}\right)\sin\theta=-v$

which means θ must be between 180º and 360º (since angles in this range have negative sine).

So the ducks must fly (relative to the air) in a direction 224º relative to the positive horizontal direction, or about 44º South of West.