Applying Radical Equations to What Matters Math 3 Unit 3
In August of 1883, a volcano erupted on the island of Krakatau, Indonesia.
The eruption caused a tsunami to form and travel into the Indian Ocean and
into the Java Sea. The speed s (in kilometers per hour) that a tsunami travels
can be modeled by s = 356√ d where d is the depth (in kilometers) of the
water.
1. A tsunami from Krakatau hit Jakarta traveling about
60 kilometers per hour. What is the average depth of
the water between Krakatau and Jakarta?
2. After 15 hours and 12 minutes a tsunami from
Krakatau hit Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 7546
kilometers away. Find the average speed of the
tsunami.
3. Based on your answer to Exercise 2, what is the
average depth of the Indian Ocean between Krakatau
and Port Elizabeth?
The Beaufort wind scale was devised to measure wind speed. The Beaufort numbers B, which range from
0 to 12, can be modeled by B = 1.69√ s +4.45 – 3.49 where s is the speed (in miles per hour) of the wind.
4. Find the wind speed that corresponds to the Beaufort
number B = 11.
Adapted from http://www.classzone.com/eservices/home/pdf/teacher/LA207FAD.pdf
5. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina tragically hit the Gulf
coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The top wind
speed in the hurricane was 174 miles per hour.
Approximately what Beaufort number is this?
6. The length l (in inches) of a standard nail can be
modeled by
3
l = 54d 2 where d is the diameter (in inches) of the
nail. What is the diameter of a standard nail that is
approximately 3 inches long?
7. For 1970 through 1995, the percent p of Doctor of
Medicine (MD) degrees earned each year by women
can be modeled by
1
p = (0.867t² + 39.2t + 57.1
¿ 2 where t is the
number of years since 1970. In what year were about
36% of the degrees earned by women?
8. You work for a company that manufactures plumb
bobs. The same mold is used to cast plumb bobs of
different sizes. The equation h = 1.5√3
t, 0 ≤ h ≤ 3
models the relationship between the height h (in
inches) of the plumb bob and the time t (in seconds)
that metal alloy is poured into the mold. How long
should
you pour
the alloy
into the
mold to
cast a
plumb bob
with a
height of
2 inches?
Adapted from http://www.classzone.com/eservices/home/pdf/teacher/LA207FAD.pdf
