Caughell Detroit River Boat Project May 2016

Caughell Detroit River Boat Project May 2016

Problem #1 at the least the GM sign is a good reference point…

From Rivard Plaza, find the height of the Detroit Renaissance building. You will need two angles of elevation to create a right triangle and use the triangle and the Law of Sines to calculate the approximate height of the Renaissance building. Take an angle of elevation and then walk to toward (or away) from the building and get your second angle of elevation. Remember your pacing distance.

Problem #2 …Ain’t No River Wide Enough…

Find the distance across the Detroit River at Rivard Plaza. First, select a landmark on the Canadian side (Casino Windsor is a good landmark to use) and find the bearing from the Carousel at Rivard Plaza. From the Carousel, or some other fixed point, walk a distance (Remember your pacing distance) and find the bearings from this new location to the same landmark on the Canadian side and back to the fixed point that you found on your first bearing. The suggested two points from which to get your bearings to use are the two red emergency poles. Take a bearing to Casino Windsor and get a bearing to the second red emergency pole (We want the interior angle of the triangle). Then pace off to the second red emergency red pole. From this second red pole get your bearing to Casino Windsor and back to the first red pole (Again, we want the interior angle). Use the Law of Sines to find the distance across the Detroit River.

Problem #3,Am I going too fast for you Part I?

Find the speed of the boat in still water and the speed of the current. You must pull your data from locations before we reach the Belle Isle Bridge. Two good options are the Stroh’s River Place and the GM building. Be careful! This cannot be completed until we return to the same waters. You need to drop Waypoints (GPS markers) and time the distance between the buildings. You will use the same two buildings on the return trip.

Problem # 4 Beauty and the Beast?

Find the length of the Belle Isle Bridge (MacArthur Bridge).

There will be multiple ways this will be attempted.

a)Site two bearings to each end of the bridge and one directly to the bridge. You will need to set a Way Point on the GPS device at the same time. Set another Way Point when you reach the bridge. You will use this information to create triangles (the angles and the distance from the bridge)to calculate the length of the bridge.

b)Site two bearings to each end of the bridge. You will then use the GPS Way Point and then the location of each end of the bridge when we work in the computer lab, to calculator your position in the water from the time you took the bearings. Using the scale map on the internet, you may find the distance of each site line. Using the Law of Cosines, calculate the distance of the bridge.

One person in your group needs to time how long it takes from when you take your bearings and place your GPS Way Point, until you reach the bridge and place your second Way Point.

Problem # 5 Things are looking up?

Calculate the height of the Renaissance building. Using dead reckoning (sight lines), find the height of the Renaissance building. You must determine the exact position of the boat in the water by making a Waypoint (GPS marker). At the same time, you must also find the angle of elevation to the top of the Renaissance building. Once you calculate your position in the river, you may use the scale to determine horizontal distance to the Renaissance building and use right triangle trigonometry to find the height.

Problem #6 Am I going too fast for you Part II?

Find the speed of the boat in still water and the speed of the current. You must pull your data from locations near 150 West Jefferson Building (4 flags atop the building) and Joe Louis Arena. Be careful! This cannot be completed until we return to the same waters (two times to measure). You need to drop Waypoints (GPS markers) and time the distance between the buildings. You will use the same two buildings on the return trip.

Problem #7 Like a bridge over trouble waters, I can ease your mind

Find the length of the Ambassador Bridge from shore to shore, which are the towers of the bridge. IF possible, we will attempt this two different ways:

There will be multiple ways this will be attempted.

a)Site two bearings to each end of the bridge and one directly to the bridge. You will need to set a Way Point on the GPS device at the same time. Set another Way Point when you reach the bridge. You will use this information to create triangles (the angles and the distance from the bridge) to calculate the length of the bridge.

b)Site two bearings to each end of the bridge. You will then use the GPS Way Point and then the location of each end of the bridge when we work in the computer lab, to calculator your position in the water from the time you took the bearings. Using the scale map on the internet, you may find the distance of each site line. Using the Law of Cosines, calculate the distance of the bridge.

One person in your group needs to time how long it takes from when you take your bearings and place your GPS Way Point, until you reach the bridge and place your second Way Point.

Name(s)______

Your Height: ______Pacing Distance: ______

Problem #1, at the least the GM sign is a good reference point…

Angle of Elevation #1 ______Angle of Elevation #2______

Pacing Distance Between Angle Measurements: ______

Problem #2,…No River is Wide Enough…

1stBearing to Casino______Bearing to 2nd Red Pole ______

2ndBearing to Casino ______Bearing back to 1st Red Pole______

Pacing Distance Between Red Poles: ______

Problem #3,Am I going too fast for you Part I?

Travel Time Between Buildings #1 ______

GPS Coordinates When Beginning Timing: ______

GPS Coordinates When Ending Timing: ______

Travel Time Between Buildings #2 ______

GPS Coordinates When Beginning Timing: ______

GPS Coordinates When Ending Timing: ______

Problem #4,Beauty and the Beast?

Bearing to Left End of Bridge ______

Bearing to Right End of Bridge ______

Bearing Directly to Bridge ______

GPS Coordinates when Bearings were taken ______

Travel Time To Bridge ______

GPS Coordinates when Reaching the Bridge ______

Problem #5,Things are looking up?

Angle of Elevation ______

GPS Coordinates when Angle of Elevation taken ______

Problem #6,Am I going too fast for you Part II?

Travel Time Between Buildings #1 ______

GPS Coordinates When Beginning Timing: ______

GPS Coordinates When Ending Timing: ______

Travel Time Between Buildings #2 ______

GPS Coordinates When Beginning Timing: ______

GPS Coordinates When Ending Timing: ______

Problem #7 Like a bridge over trouble waters, I can ease your mind

Bearing to Left End of Bridge ______

Bearing to Right End of Bridge ______

Bearing Directly to Bridge ______

GPS Coordinates when Bearings were taken ______

Travel Time To Bridge ______

GPS Coordinates when Reaching the Bridge ______
Name(s)______

Discussion on Problem #1, at the least the GM sign is a good reference point…

Any Errors?

Discussion on Problem #2,…No River is Wide Enough…

Any Errors?

Discussion on Problem #3,Am I going too fast for you Part I?

Any Errors?

Discussion on Problem #4,Beauty and the Beast?

Any Errors?

Discussion on Problem #5,Things are looking up?

Any Errors?

Discussion on Problem #6,Am I going too fast for you Part II?

Any Errors?

Discussion on Problem #7 Like a bridge over trouble waters, I can ease your mind

Any Errors?

Conclusion(s)/comments about the Detroit River Project: