A balloon is rising vertically above a level road at a constant rate of 1 ft/sec.
Just when the balloon is 65 feet above the ground,
a bicycle moving at a constant rate of 17 ft/sec passes under it.
(a) What is the distance between the balloon and the bicyclist three seconds later?
The balloon is at , rising at 1 ft/sec.
t | \
C * \
| \ d
65 | \
D * - - - - * B
In the next seconds, it rises feet to
. . feet.
The cyclist is at , moving at 17 ft/sec.
In the next seconds, it moves feet to
In 3 seconds, the balloon is 68 feet high, the cyclist moved 51 feet.
Pythagorus give us the distance: .
(b) What is the distance between the balloon and the bicyclist after another 3 seconds have passed?
After 6 seconds, the balloon is 71 feet high, the cyclist moved 102 feet.
Pythagorus says: .