Question

A whale comes to the surface to breathe and then dives at an angle 24 degrees to the horizontal surface of the water. The whale continues in a straight line 145 m. What are the horizontal and vertical components of the displacement of the whale?

Answer 1

Given that,

A whale dives at an angle of 24 degrees to the horizontal surface of the water.

The whale continues in a straight line 145 m.

To find,

The horizontal and vertical components of the displacement of the whale.

Solution,

The horizontal component of displacement is :

$d_x=d\cos\theta\\\\=145\times \cos(24)\\\\=132.46\ m$

The vertical component of displacement is :

$d_y=d\sin\theta\\\\=145\times \sin(24)\\\\=58.97\ m$

Hence, the horizontal and vertical components of the displacement of the whale are 132.46 m and 58.97 m.