A kite is moving horizontally at a height of 151.5 meters. If the speed of kite is 10 m/s, how fast is the string being let out; when the kite is 250 m away from the boy who is flying the kite? The height of boy is 1.5 m.

Given: a boy of n height 1.5 m is flying a kite at a height of 151.5 m. The kite is moving with a speed of 10m/s. And the kite is 250 m away from the boy.


To find the speed at which the string is let out


Explanation: the below figure shows the above situation,



From the above figure,


Height of the kite, H = AD = 151.5 m


Height of the boy, b = BC = 1.5 m


Distance between kite and boy, x = CD = BE = 250 m


And BA is the length of the string = y


So, we need to find out the rate of increase of the string


From figure, h = AE


= AD-ED


= 151.5-1.5


= 150m


From figure it is clear that ΔABE forms right-angled triangle


Now applying the Pythagoras theorem, we get


AB2 = BE2+AE2


Or y2 = x2+h2………..(i)


Now substituting the corresponding values, we get


y2 = (250)2+(150)2


y2 = 62500+22500


y2 = 85000


y = 291.5m………..(ii)


Now differentiate equation (i) with respect to time, we get



Applying the sum rule of the differentiation, we get



Now the height is not increasing so it is constant, so



Applying the derivative with respect to t, we get




Now given the kite is moving with a speed of 10m/s, so



Now substituting corresponding value in equation (iii), we get





Hence the string is let out at a rate of 8.6m/s.


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