Question

A police officer in a helicopter is hovering 1110 feet directly over a straight stretch of I-5 where the speed limit is 70 miles per hour. A car passes below very quickly so the officer pulls out the radar gun. At the moment of using the radar the results show that the car is 1985 feet away from the helicopter, and it is moving away from the helicopter at 95 feet per second.

The helicopter officer notifies the ground patrolman a short distance ahead, who stops the car and gives a speeding ticket to the irate driver who demands to know what the radar gun indicated. The patrol officer tells him 95 feet per second. The driver says "That's not over the speed limit! I am going to contest this ticket in court."

The police hire your consulting firm to explain the situation clearly to the judge. Of course first you must analyze the facts and use calculus to determine whether or not the car was being driven over the speed limit along the road. Then write a clear report for the judge explaining your reasoning and your conclusion.

At the moment the radar gun was used, the length of w =.........feet? and the length of k =.......feet? and the value of dw/dt =....... feet/sec

and What was the speed of the car along the road at the moment the radar gun was used?

Answer 1