WyzAnt.comI've got two LORAN stations A and B that are 500 miles apart. A and B are also the Foci of a hyperbola. A ship at point P (which lies on the hyperbola branch with A as the focus) receives a nav signal from station A 2640 micro-sec before it receives from B. If the signal travels 980 ft/microsecond, how far away is P from A and B? Also, what are the values for a, b, and c?
Hyperbola Word Problem. Explanation/(answer)
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2 Answers
Assuming the Transverse axis is horizontal and the center of the hyperbole is the origin, the foci are:
A(250, 0) and B(-250, 0) ; thus c = 250
Now, let's figure out how far appart is P from A and B. This is the fun part. Ready? OK. Since the speed of the signal is given in feet/microsecond (ft/μs), we need to use the unit conversion 1 mile = 5,280 feet. (μs is the abreviation for microsecond... Fancy, huh?)
d = (2,640 μs)(980 ft/μs)
The signal travels 2,587,200 feet; or 490 miles in 2,640 μs
Now, let's think about this. If the stations are 500 miles appart, and the ship receives the signal 2,640 μs sooner from A than from B, it means that the ship is very close to A because the signal traveled 490 additional miles from B before it reached the ship. Let's put the ship P at the vertex of branch A and the vertices are 490 miles appart; or 245 miles from the origin...
Then... a = 245 and the vertices are (245, 0) and (-245, 0)
We find b from the fact: c2 = a2 + b2 → b2 = c2 - a2; or b2 = 2,475; thus b ≈ 49.75
Now the answers to the questions:
The distance from P to A is 5 miles → PA = 5; from P to B is 495 miles → PB = 495.
a = 245; b ≈ 49.75; and c = 250
Let's take a minute to check our facts:
AP = 5 miles or 26,400 ft ÷ 980 μs/ft = 26.94 μs
BP = 495 miles or 2,613,600 ft ÷ 980 μs/ft = 2,666.94 μs
The difference 2,666.94 - 26.94 = 2,640 μs, is exactly the time P received the signal sooner from A than from B.
This was too much fun for a Thursday night. Cheer up, tomorrow is Friday, finally!
2c = 500
c = 250 miles
2a = 980*2640/5280 = 490
a = 245 miles
b2 = c2 - a2 = 2475
Answer: x2/60025 - y2/2475 = 1
Comments
2a = 490 miles is the difference in distance from P to A and from P to B.
- Robert J. 12/14/2012
Comments
I answered two of your questions. But it takes a while to get posted. I don't know why.
- Robert J. 12/13/2012Robert, I contacted wyzant about that, and it's because sometimes the answers have to be reviewed before they show up.
- Daniel O. 12/13/2012Thanks for sharing.
I found that if you input "^", most likely your answer will be reviewed.
- Robert J. 12/13/2012I just posted an answer to this problem as well. Last night I worked for an hour answering a questions posted with 4 problems, worked all of them and pluff!! my work just disappeared. It was frustrating. I hope it shows up later. Patience my friends...
- Roberto C. 12/13/2012Roberto, it should show up, but if it still hasn't, use the Contact Us link to let them know: http://www.wyzant.com/ContactUs.aspx
- Daniel O. 12/13/2012