Can Someone Help w/ This Math?

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/30/report-co-pilot-moved-seat-sent-jetliner-plumetting/?hpt=C2

So just to satisfy my curiosity, I wanted to know about how long this plane was plummeting for, but my math skills are pretty horrendous.

Actually, its just figuring the triangular lengths that has me stumped.

|---B--/
|____/
|A _/ C
| _/
| /
|/

The dive angle was 26 degrees and the drop (A) was 7000ft. I know you can figure out the length of the hypotenuse C with the angle and one length...just don't know how to do it.

Length C by maybe 350kts (590fps) would be how long?

I'm just curious because I'm kind of into flight sims and it seems to me like dropping 7000ft at just 28 degrees would take a while. At least long enough to remember that you pull the stick back to bring the nose up. I mean...just about everybody knows that. You'd think a copilot, even a poorly trained one, would know that.

 

Pythagorem theorm. A^2 + B^2= C^2

 

Only one length is given; the altitude drop! You need two lengths to use the Pythagorean theorem. This is a side and an angle (between sides B and C). I think its one of those tests I failed where you have to use the Sin/Cos button on the calculator

 

C = 15,968.2 ft
im assuming the 26 degrees are between B & C

otherwise
C = 7788.2 ft

 

Nice...how'd you do it?

350kts = 590fps
400kts = 675fps

So around 23 to 27 seconds??? Shit...the kid must have just totally froze up.

 

I thought you gave 2 lengths though?

 

A devided by the cosine of 26 degrees = C

 

edited the post, depending on where the 26 degrees are

7000/cos(64) for 26 degrees between B & C

or

7000/cos(26) for 26 degrees between A & C

 

Nope, the article gives a 7000ft vertical drop and a dive angle of 26 degrees.

You might have confused the 350kts/590fps for a second length. It was a velocity I thought made sense to figure how long the plane was descending for.

 

Cool! Yep, dive angle is between B & C. I've been schooled!

 

Cos Θ = A/H

H=A/Cos Θ

where A=total height and Θ = angle from vertical (26°)

Edit.....oops, too slow.

 

soh cah toa

 

x2 hahaha i will always remember that

 

Wait...this is vaguely familiar...lol arrrgh dammit I told my teacher I would never use this stuff!

 

lol now if I could find someone that could help me with my electric machinery problems

Tomorrow is going to suck, class from 730-330PM lab from 330-630PM, exam from 8-10PM, next day exam at 730AM

FML

 

Isn't the Maytag guy never doing anything?
Good luck with it...math was never my strong suit.

I looked up SOH CAH TOA...that was Trig. I definitely remember getting an F minus in Trig and pulling some magic to eke out with a D.

 

Haha life safer on tests right there!

 

me too lol

I still use it in my statics class so its definitely worth memorizing if your going into any type of math or engineering field.

 

I don't use anything more complicated than a division symbol. Screw all the math after 7th grade (pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, Alg-2, Trig, Calculus and stats). what a waste of brain power and time.

 

Wow, I learned something here that non of my teachers have ever taught me. So much easier that way, lol