Question
An aircraft is flying at a height of 3400 m above the ground. If the angle subtended at a ground observation point by the aircraft positions 10s apart is 30°, what is the speed of the aircraft?
Solution
The aircraft takes 10s to go from A to B and AB subtends an angle of 30° at O.
Height of the aircraft from the groun = 3400 m
In right angled triangle OAC,
AC = OC tan 15°
= 3400 x 0·2679
= 911m
∴
Now, the speed of aircraft is,