2.11.

2 Project: Performance Task: The Parallax

Problem Project
Geometry Honors Sem 1 Name: Clara Bui
Date: Nov 27th 2023

The Scenario: You're looking for a sponsor to pay for you to

participate in a sailboat race. Now that you've solved the parallax
problem, use the same skills you used there to write a proposal
that shows that you can win the race.

The Project: Use the information provided in the performance

task to estimate your travel costs and to calculate your average
speed and the speed of last year's winner. Use the questions
below to help you gather information to write your proposal.

Part I: Which race? Choose a city. (8 points)

When you write your proposal, you'll need to tell your sponsor about the costs
and risks involved in the race you've chosen. You'll investigate these in Part I.

1. Which city did you pick and why? (2 points)

I choose Mykonos, Greece because I like the Mediterranean weather and food.

2. What is one common boating hazard in this city? (2 points)

Sometimes strong wind can push your boat to the rocks, which are dangerous.
3. What are your total travel expenses? (4 points: 2 points for airfare/hotel, 2
points for total)

Round trip airfare: $2000

Hotel cost (10 nights): $250/night x 5 nights = $2500

Round trip airfare: $2000

Total travel expenses: $3250

Part II: Which category? Choose your boat. (10 points)

Your proposal will also discuss how likely it is that you'll win the race. In Part II,
you'll calculate your average race speed for the type of boat you've chosen.

1. Which boat did you choose and why? (2 points)

Catamarran because it’s fast and I can go with someone else.

 2. What is one advantage of your boat? (2 points)

It’s fast and 2 people can ride it

3. What is one disadvantage of your boat? (2 points)

It’s hard to steer and slower to return.

4. For the city and boat you picked above, what were the speeds of your last
three races (in knots)? (2 points)

Race 1: 6.60 knots

Race 2: 10.66 knots

Race 3: 10.66 knots

5. What is your average race speed? (2 points)

9.307 knots
 Part III: The Olympic triangle (22 points)

1. Draw a sketch of the short course triangle below, labeling the points A, B,
and C. Don't draw it on your master map yet! (3 points)

2. Draw the arrows to represent your path along the course. (3 points)
 3. Where do you start? (3 points)

Point A

4. What are the measures for angles B and C? (3 points)

60 degrees

5. What is the measure for angle A? (3 points)

60 degrees
 6. What do you know about the distance between each buoy? (3 points)

They are congruent

7. The wind is blowing opposite to leg AB. Given the fact that you're traveling
in a wind-powered boat, which leg of the course will take you the longest?
Why? (4 points)

The leg that will take the longest is leg AB because the wind is blowing in the
opposite direction so the resistance is strongest

Part IV: Last year's winner (9 points)

Your sponsor will need to know how your average speeds compare to
the speeds of past winners. In Part IV, you'll find out how to calculate
boat speeds in knots (nautical miles per hour).

1. What was the winning time of last year's race for your city and boat? (2
points, one for each leg)

25.5 minutes
 2. Do you know how fast last year's winner was traveling? (2 points)

No, can’t be determined

3. What information do you need to know to calculate last year's winning

speed? Remember, the distance traveled (length of the course) is equal to the
rate (boat's speed) times the time. (2 points)

I need to know how long the path is, how fast the boat is going, and thetime to
figure out the right speed.

A nautical mile is 6076 feet. A speed of one nautical mile per hour is a knot. In
the next two questions, you will convert a speed in feet per minute to knots.

4. If you travel 1000 feet in 5 minutes, what is your speed in feet per minute?
(1 point)

speed= distance/time
1000/5= 200 ft/min

=200 ft/min

5. What is your speed in knots? Hint: Use the number of minutes in an hour to
convert the speed to feet per hour. Then use the number of feet in a nautical
mile to convert feet per hour to knots. (2 points: 1 point for finding the speed
in feet/hr, 1 point for converting to knots)

1.97 knots

Part V: The map (20 points)

In Part V, you're going to use your knowledge of parallax to find the distance of
the race course. Below is a grid to draw your master map on. Use this to draw
your parallax triangles and distances. Don't worry about drawing your map to
scale. The grid is there to help you draw straighter lines.
 1. What are the two landmarks from your city that you'll use for parallax? (2
points)

North and South ends.

2. What is the distance between your two landmarks? (2 points)

1000 ft
 3. Call the North Landmark L1 and the South Landmark L2. Sketch the points
L1 and L2 on your map. (2 points)

4. What is the fixed point in the water that you will use for parallax? (2 points)

the midpoint

5. Call your fixed point P. Sketch the point P onto the map. (2 points)
 6. What is the distance from your fixed point P to the line between L1 and L2
(called L1L2)? (2 points)

700 ft

7. Draw the line from your fixed point P to the line L1L2 and add to the length of
this line. (2 points)

8. Label the point of intersection between line L1L2 and the new line as point D.
(2 points)

9. What is the distance from L1 to D? That is, what is the measure of the line
segment L1D? Hint: Review the diagram in the "Race Course" section of the
Performance Task. (2 points)

400 ft

10. What is the distance from L2 to D? That is, what is the measure of the line
segment L2D? (2 points)

600 ft
Part VI: Solving the problem (10 points)

In Parts VI, VII, and VIII, you'll use your map to find the length of the race
course. Knowing the distance will allow you to find the average speed of last
year's winner.

Draw the Olympic triangle on your map.

1. Buoy marker A was set so that it's in a perfect line of sight with the hazard
buoy and the landmark L2. Draw buoy A so that it's in the proper line. You can
choose the position of buoy A. (2 points)
2. The first leg of the racing triangle, AB, runs parallel to the bridge. Draw this line.
(2 points)

3. Buoy marker B was set so that it's in a perfect line of sight with the hazard
buoy and the landmark L1. Draw buoy B so that it's on the parallax line. (2 points)

4. Sketch buoy marker C, remembering what you know about the Olympic
triangle. Don't worry if your drawing is not to scale. (2 points)

5. What is the distance from the hazard buoy to racing buoy A? Hint: Review the
diagram in the "Race Course" section of the Performance Task. Write this
distance on your map. (2 points)

Part VII: Calculate the distances. (23 points)

1. What is the distance from the hazard buoy P to the southern landmark L2?
Use this formula: , where d is the distance from P to L2,
DL2 is the distance from D to L2, and PD is the distance from P to D.
Round to the nearest foot. (5 points)
922 feet
922 ft

2. What triangles are similar? How do you know? (5 points)

None of the triangles are similar because none of the triangles share the same
angles and sides

3. What is the distance between buoy A and B? (5 points)

1000 ft

4. What are the lengths of the other two triangle legs? (4 points: 2 points
each) Remember what you know about the shape of the race course.
Since all of the angles are the same the distance between the other two triangles
legs is 1000 feet.

5. What is the total length of the race course? (4 points: 3 points for calculation, 1
point for answer)

600^2+700^2= c^2

= 2222 ft

400^2+ 700^2= c^2

= 806

2222+806= 3028 ft

=3028 ft

Part VIII: Calculate the winner's speed. (10 points)

1. What was the winner's speed during last year's race? (5 points: 3 points for
speed, 2 points for conversion to knots).

About 2 knots
 2. How does the winner's speed compare with your average speed? How
much faster or slower are you? (5 points)

the winners speed is 4.6 knots and my speed is 9.307 knots, which makes me 4.7
knots faster than the winner.

Part IX: Write your proposal. (8 points)

Now it's time to make your proposal to the sponsor. Your sponsor will have their
logo on your boat, so they want to be sure it's likely to do well. The sponsor also
needs to know what the expenses and risks are, so they know how much their
investment in you will cost.

1. Complete the table to summarize the results of your study. (4 points)

Category: Race:

Itemized Travel
Cost $3250

Strong winds and cruise

Risk Analysis: Safety hazards ships

My time and speed 9.307 knots

Competitive Last year's winning

4.6 knots
Analysis: time and speed
Reward My chances of
Analysis: winning High

2. Write a summary paragraph explaining why the sponsor should accept your
proposal. (4 points)

Given my thorough research on the risks, costs, and the racecourse, I've chosen
Mykonos due to my preference for Mediterranean weather and cuisine.
Additionally, I've opted for a catamaran, known for its strength and speed,
reaching approximately 9.3 knots in Mykonos. With a strong possibility of
winning, accepting my offer would be a wise decision on your part.

Part X: Lost at sea (30 points)

Suddenly, during your race, a powerful thunderstorm strikes. A wave washes over
your boat, shorting out your navigation devices. They wouldn't be much use
anyhow, because the lightning is interfering with all communications in the area.

When the storm ends and the sea is calm, you're safe, because you observed all
safety precautions, but you have no idea how far off course you are. However,
you do know:

• The height of a nearby landmark, which you remember from the tourist center
you visited yesterday.

o San Francisco: The Golden Gate Bridge is 220 feet tall.

o Sydney: The Sydney Harbour Bridge is 161 feet tall.

o Mykonos: The light in the Armenistis Lighthouse is 604 feet above sea
level.

• The length of your thumb — it's about 2 inches long.

 • That you can estimate lengths of less than a foot pretty accurately (to the
nearest inch).

1. First, you close one eye and hold your thumb up to block your view of the
landmark. You move your thumb nearer and farther from your eye until it just
covers the landmark.

Make a sketch showing overlapping triangles ΔEBT and ΔELH to illustrate this
situation, where your eye is E, the base of your thumb is B, the tip of your thumb
is T, the bottom of the landmark is L, and the top of the landmark is H. (9 points)

2. Explain why ΔEBT~ΔELH. (6 points)

Triangles ΔEBT and ΔELH are similar due to the AA triangle theorem. Both
triangles share the angle at E, and the angle at T corresponds to the angle at H
since your thumb is blocking the view of the landmark.

3. When your thumb covers the landmark, you estimate that it is 10 inches from
your eye. Label your drawing with the known measu rements. (6 points)
 4. Solve for EL, the distance from your eye to the landmark. Show all work and
justify each step. (9 points: 6 points for the distance, 3 points for the
justifications of the steps used)

10/EL = 2/7248

EL = 7248*5 = 36240 inches

36240/12 = 3020

Copyright © 2018 Apex Learning Inc. Use of this material is subject to Apex Learning's Terms of Use. Any unauthorized

copying, reuse, or redistribution is prohibited. Apex Learning ® and the Apex Learning Logo are registered trademarks of Apex

Learning Inc.

2.11.2 Project: Performance Task: The Parallax Problem