To solve this problem you must apply the proccedure shown below:
1. You must apply the Law of Cosines, as you can see in the figure attached. Then:
- The first ship travels at [tex] 27 mi/hr [/tex] in for two hours. Therefore, the side [tex] a [/tex] is:
[tex] a=(27 mi/hr)(2 hr)=54mi [/tex]
- The second ship travels at [tex] 18 mi/hr [/tex] for [tex] 1.5 hours [/tex]. Therefore, the side [tex] b [/tex] is:
[tex] b=(18mi/hr)(1.5hr)=27mi [/tex]
- Now, you can calculate [tex] c [/tex]:
[tex] c=\sqrt{54^{2}+27^{2}-2(54)(27)Cos(55)}=44 mi [/tex]
The answer is: [tex] 44 miles [/tex]
