Year: 1991
Paper: 2
Question Number: 10
Course: LFM Pure and Mechanics
Section: Vectors
No solution available for this problem.
Difficulty Rating: 1600.0
Difficulty Comparisons: 0
Banger Rating: 1500.0
Banger Comparisons: 0
A straight stick of length $h$ stands vertically. On a sunny day,
the stick casts a shadow on flat horizontal ground. In cartesian axes
based on the centre of the Earth, the position of the Sun may be taken
to be $R(\cos\theta,\sin\theta,0)$ where $\theta$ varies but $R$
is constant. The positions of the base and tip of the stick are $a(0,\cos\phi,\sin\phi)$
and $b(0,\cos\phi,\sin\phi)$, respectively, where $b-a=h$. Show
that the displacement vector from the base of the stick to the tip
of the shadow is
\[
Rh(R\cos\phi\sin\theta-b)^{-1}\begin{pmatrix}-\cos\theta\\
-\sin^{2}\phi\sin\theta\\
\cos\phi\sin\phi\sin\theta
\end{pmatrix}.
\]
{[}`Stands vertically' means that the centre of the Earth, the base
of the stick and the tip of the stick are collinear, `horizontal'
means perpendicular to the stick.