A canoe has a velocity of 0.550m/s southeast relative to the earth. The canoe is on a river that is flowing at 0.530m/s east relative to the earth. Find the direction of the velocity of the canoe relative to the river.
HOW DO YOU SOLVE THIS.

Question

A canoe has a velocity of 0.550m/s southeast relative to the earth. The canoe is on a river that is flowing at 0.530m/s east relative to the earth. Find the direction of the velocity of the canoe relative to the river.
HOW DO YOU SOLVE THIS.

anonymous · Answer

Basically, you need to know how relative velocities work. For example, If I am walking 5mph to the right on a conveyor belt moving 3mph to the right. What is my speed relative to the earth. The way to solve this (although the answer is probably pretty intuitive) is calculate the following:$$V _{person, conveyer} + V _{conveyer, ground} = V _{person, ground}$$ $$5 + 3 = 8$$The other tip you need to solve this problem is that components of velocity are completely independent of each other. For example, the above formula doesn't work if the conveyer belt had a velocity instead moving up. It does hold true when all the components are equal, more correctly $$ V_{x_{p,c}} + V_{x_{c,g}} = V_{x_{p,g}}$$

anonymous · Answer

First try to plot the data on cartesian coordinate axis....you can find the angle at which it moves by simple trigonometry....it comes out to be 15.45deg
Then break the velocity into components and apply relative velocity formulas as @cdosborn explained...you will find the canoe is at rest...with respect to the water