While underway you sight a light 11° on your port bow at a distance of 12 miles. Assuming you make good course, what will be your distance off the light when abeam?
Given:
Sin θ = 11°
Distance = 12 nm
What is asked?
Distance off abeam
Solution:
In this problem you can figure out a plane triangle. 11° as your angle, 12 miles as your hypotenuse, and the distant off abeam as the opposite side.
So we can use the sine trigonometric function in solving this problem.
Given:
Sin θ = 11°
Distance = 12 nm
What is asked?
Distance off abeam
Solution:
In this problem you can figure out a plane triangle. 11° as your angle, 12 miles as your hypotenuse, and the distant off abeam as the opposite side.
So we can use the sine trigonometric function in solving this problem.
Sin θ = opp
hyp
Opp = hyp × Sin θ
Distant abeam = 12 × Sin 11°
= 12 × 0.190808
