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physics604
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1. A plane flies horizontally at an altitude of 5 km and passes directly over a tracking telescope on the ground. When the angle of elevation is [itex]\frac{\pi}{3}[/itex], this angle is decreasing at a rate of -[itex]\frac{\pi}{3}[/itex] rad/min. How fast is the plane traveling at that time?
$$tanθ=\frac{opp}{hyp}$$
First I find the length of the top of the triangle, x. $$tan\frac{\pi}{3}=\frac{x}{5}$$ $$x=5\sqrt{3}$$
Then I take the derivative.
$$tanθ=\frac{x}{y}$$ $$sec^2x\frac{dθ}{dt}=\frac{y\frac{dx}{dt}-x\frac{dx}{dt}}{y^2}$$ The y, or altitude, is always constant so $$sec^2x\frac{dθ}{dt}=\frac{y\frac{dx}{dt}}{y^2}$$ $$sec^2\frac{\pi}{3}×-\frac{\pi}{6}×5=\frac{dx}{dt}$$ $$\frac{dx}{dt}=-\frac{10}{3}\pi$$
The answer from my textbook is $$\frac{10}{9}\pi$$ What did I do wrong? Any help is much appreciated.
Homework Equations
$$tanθ=\frac{opp}{hyp}$$
The Attempt at a Solution
First I find the length of the top of the triangle, x. $$tan\frac{\pi}{3}=\frac{x}{5}$$ $$x=5\sqrt{3}$$
Then I take the derivative.
$$tanθ=\frac{x}{y}$$ $$sec^2x\frac{dθ}{dt}=\frac{y\frac{dx}{dt}-x\frac{dx}{dt}}{y^2}$$ The y, or altitude, is always constant so $$sec^2x\frac{dθ}{dt}=\frac{y\frac{dx}{dt}}{y^2}$$ $$sec^2\frac{\pi}{3}×-\frac{\pi}{6}×5=\frac{dx}{dt}$$ $$\frac{dx}{dt}=-\frac{10}{3}\pi$$
The answer from my textbook is $$\frac{10}{9}\pi$$ What did I do wrong? Any help is much appreciated.