Before departing the Interstellar Headquarters, the ship’s navigator begins to plan the next trip. She uses a map with their current trajectory already graphed on it. There is also a table that has coordinate points of a satellite that the Mathonauts must intercept. Explain to the navigator how she can use the graph and table to find where they will intercept the satellite. Assume the path of the satellite is linear. Use the coordinates to create an equation representing the path of the satellite. Explain the process and show how to find the point of intersection algebraically.

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anonymous · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

To find the path of the satellite, you'd just use:
$$\ \frac{y-y_0}{y_1-y_0}=\ \frac{x-x_0}{x_1-x_0}$$
By the way, that was a quick fanning. You couldn't have known the answer I'd provide would be any good. :-P

anonymous · Answer

You can then look at where the Mathonauts' trajectory intersects the axes and use the same method to find the equation of their trajectory.

anonymous · Answer

Does the equation I gave make sense?

anonymous · Answer

I just done it because you were the only one who tried to help. :) It sorta makes sense, I just don't know co-ords to use?

anonymous · Answer

What co-ordinates to use? You mean for the satellite or spaceship?

anonymous · Answer

Both.

anonymous · Answer

You said there's a table of co-ordinates for the satellite. Look at that. For the space ship, the easiest place to look at is where it crosses the axes. What are those points?

anonymous · Answer

The point of intersection is (4,3)

anonymous · Answer

Not having the satellite co-ordinates, I can't check if you're correct, but if you are, then congratulations on having figured it out. :-)