A police helicopter is flying above a straight horizontal section of motorway chasing a speeding car.
The helicopter is flying at a constant speed of 72ms−1 and at a constant height of 400 metres above the ground. The helicopter is attempting to catch up with the car.
When the direct distance from the helicopter to the car is 2500 metres, the angle of depression, θ, between the horizontal and the line of sight from the helicopter to the car is increasing at a rate of 0.002rads−1.
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Calculate the speed of the car at this instant.
*You must use calculus and show any derivatives that you need to find when solving this problem.*
Full Solution
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Video Explanation
2023 NCEA L3 Calculus Exam Walkthrough by infinityplusone(starts at 42:04)