Word problem trig

Question

A ship os 2.8 degrees off course. If the ship is traveling 14.0 miles per hour, how far off course will it be after two hours?

Answer 1

The original course is the long leg of a right triangle.

The course of the ship is the hypotenuse.

The short leg is the distance off course.

 

sin 2.8° = short / 140

0.0488 ≈ short / 140

6.8 ≈ short

 

The ship is about 6.8 miles off course.