Plane Curvilinear Motion: x-y Coordinates - Conceptual Example 3.1-3

 

A fisherman sits in a motor boat at the shore of a river flowing downstream at 4 m/s. The fisherman wishes to reach the other side of the river. If the river is 60 meters wide and the motor boat has a maximum speed of 3 m/s with respect to the water, what is the shortest amount of time it could take the fisherman to perform the crossing? Note that the flow of the river is parallel to the shore on both sides of the river.

 

a) 20 seconds
b) 15 seconds
c) 60/5 seconds
d) 60/7 seconds