A plane flies northeast starting at the equator. How far does it fly until it reaches the north pole?
środa, październik 28th, 2009
Jeffrey K asked:
If a plane starts at the equator and flies northeast (45 degrees north of east) continuously, how far does it fly until it reaches the north pole?
Assume the plane is a mathematical point and the earth is a perfect sphere of radius 4000 miles.
Can this problem be solved without using calculus to compute arc length of a curve in spherical coordinates?