Question

A long-distance swimmer is able to swim through still water at 4.0 km/h. She wishes to try to swim from Port Angeles, Washington, directly north to Victoria, British Columbia, a distance of 50 km. An ocean current flows through the Strait of Juan de Fuca from west to east at 3.0 km/h. In what direction (relative to north) should she swim to make the crossing along a straight line between the two cities?

Answer 1

Let $\theta$ be the direction the swimmer must swim relative to east. Then her velocity relative to the water is

$\vec v_{S/W}=\left(4.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}\right)(\cos\theta\,\vec\imath+\sin\theta\,\vec\jmath)$

The current has velocity vector (relative to the Earth)

$\vec v_{W/E}=\left(3.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}\right)\,\vec\imath$

The swimmer's resultant velocity (her velocity relative to the Earth) is then

$\vec v_{S/E}=\vec v_{S/W}+\vec v_{W/E}$

$\vec v_{S/E}=\left(\left(4.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}\right)\cos\theta+3.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}\right)\,\vec\imath+\left(4.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}\right)\sin\theta\,\vec\jmath$

We want the resultant vector to be pointing straight north, which means its horizontal component must be 0:

$\left(4.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}\right)\cos\theta+3.0\dfrac{\rm km}{\rm h}=0\implies\cos\theta=-\dfrac{3.0}{4.0}\implies\theta\approx138.59^\circ$

which is approximately 41º west of north.