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please cast you eye over this

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Old 27th May 2001, 00:56
  #1 (permalink)  
hmm nice flaps
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Question please cast you eye over this


I have just been to OASC for FAA aptitude and really struggled on questions like this:

If a ship leaves its port and sail 130 miles north, then turns west and sails 35 miles, then turn south and sails 170, and then north 20 mile how far away is it from its original destination?

I believe i may encounter imilar questions at the AIB. I realise it's a tad sad asking such questions on this forum, and must by rather a bore , but can any kind soul over any advice?

 
Old 27th May 2001, 01:00
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BEagle
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Are you sure you copied the question correctly? For in the true tradition of the Navy, this ship seems to have wandered around for several hundred miles without any idea of where it was supposed to be going in the first place! Keep a look out for obvious 3/4/5 or 5/12/13 triangles (if they still teach such things at school, you'll know what I mean!).

[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 26 May 2001).]
 
Old 27th May 2001, 02:58
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AllTrimDoubt
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No need to work it out...the ship won't be where it said it would and will definitely not be on the planned radio frequency! Just mutter something about typical fishead ineptitude and you'll be fine for FAA!

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Just Lookout and Fly Accurately Bloggs!
 
Old 27th May 2001, 04:33
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Talking Radalt
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shouldn't it read, a BOAT is in dry dock at a rate of £x per day awaiting a contract to replace a part which cost $y. The part could have been manufactured on board but the mechanic's post was disestablished to save £z per year. Considering a working group spent £A per week to decide on the contract, how much did the MOD plc lose by laying off Bloggs?
 
Old 27th May 2001, 05:31
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Davaar
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From the information given, God and the Lords Commissioners alone know, because the original destination is not stated, nor can it be deduced. Triangles will not help.
 
Old 27th May 2001, 11:52
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tony draper
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surly its just simple trig,if you mean how far from the point of origin, ie the port
its just a right angle triangle with sides 35x20 work out the length of the hypotenus.
that should do it.
Or it would if the earth was flat.
 
Old 27th May 2001, 12:14
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BEagle
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......which is why I asked whether you'd copied the question down correctly! If indeed the courses are as stated and you meant the port of departure, not destination, the answer is pretty obviously just over 40 miles. Divide the courses by 5 and you have the hypoteneuse as 5((7*7)+(4*4))**0.5 ; in other words 5*(65**0.5). 8 eights are 64, so the answer is a tad over 40. Simplify things like this, keep an eye out for pythagoras, know simple squares of 1 to 13 and it's much easier!!


[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 27 May 2001).]
 
Old 27th May 2001, 12:21
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mriya225
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Wouldn't this ship now be 75mi. SW of the port?



[This message has been edited by mriya225 (edited 27 May 2001).]
 
Old 27th May 2001, 14:34
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Gentleman Aviator
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BA ask similar questions in their aptitude tests. If it makes you any happier they also give directions in terms of NE, SE, SW & NW as well as N, E, S & W!

Suggest you break it into bits:

1. 130nm North.
Sails 35nm West so ship is

2. 130nm North, 35nm West.
Sails 170nm South so ship is

3. 40nm South, 35nm West.
Sails 20nm North so ship is

4. 20nm South, 35nm West.

Hope this helps.

GA
 
Old 27th May 2001, 15:09
  #10 (permalink)  
mriya225
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...and don't second guess yourself!!!
my original post was 55mi. SW of port.

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Old 27th May 2001, 15:18
  #11 (permalink)  
hmm nice flaps
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Thumbs up

many thanks for the replies - useful and amusing.

The question wasn't copied down exactly, but at OASC there was a whole batch that were similar to this.

Cheers anyway!

 
Old 27th May 2001, 19:30
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BigBulge
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I make it 40.3 (to nearest decimal place).

As Tony Draper pointed out, (35 x 35) + (20 x20) = (40.3 x 40.3).

BEagle, your approximation was very close.
 
Old 27th May 2001, 20:32
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Rusty Cessna
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Its just all about being able to mentally picture the route in your head, how did you get on anway?

Rusty
 
Old 27th May 2001, 22:33
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BEagle
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BigBulge - yes, I knew that. But unless you use a calculator or know how to do 'long square rooting' (which wasn't even taught when I went to school - I learned it from an ancient mathematician some time later), 'a tad over 40' is quicker to work out than 40.31128874149!!
 
Old 27th May 2001, 23:28
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BigBulge
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A fair reply. However, I too didn't use a calculator. A piece of paper, long multiplication, and good old trial and error. I know it's sad, but I was bored......... mmmmmm, very bored.
 
Old 28th May 2001, 03:08
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mriya225
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Wink

Okay look, can we get a ruling on this--one way or the other--it'll drive me nuts until we do.
 
Old 28th May 2001, 04:38
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Davaar
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By "long square rooting" (which I never knew by that name, but I know what you mean)I got it to 40.31, to two places of decimals. Of course, that is to point of origin, not to unstated destination. No trial and error involved, or having to memorise lists of squares and square roots.
 
Old 28th May 2001, 06:03
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Avtrician
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Dont forget, that the answer needs the direction to be correct.(Tho the way this guy is driving he is obviously lost,drunk,blonde or all of the above)

So the Marie Celeste is 40 and a tad miles South Westish of his starting point.
 
Old 28th May 2001, 07:06
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RRAAMJET
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It's obvious:

the fishheads were moseying around looking for a bit of "long square rooting"...

ahem....now what was the question?
 
Old 28th May 2001, 14:10
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aerostude
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This can't have been a question with those exact numbers. That took a calcualtor!! And furthermore, the bearing of the final position from the start is a bit obscure. I seem to recall all these problems breaking down into 3,4,5 triangles etc.

 


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