Interactive Boat River Crossing Simulation

Boat (m/s)	Angle (°)	River (m/s)	Resultant (m/s)	Time (s)	X Pos (m)	Y Pos (m)	Displacement (m)	Distance (m)

Control Panel

Boat Speed (relative to water) 4.0 m/s

Boat Angle (Heading) 0° 0° is straight across. ±90° points parallel to shore.

River Speed (relative to shore) 2.0 m/s

Show Component Vectors Show Resultant Vector Show Boat Path

Resultant Speed: 0.0 m/s

Resultant Angle: 0.0°

Time Taken: 0.0 s

X Position: 0.0 m

Y Position: 0.0 m

Displacement: 0.0 m

Total Distance: 0.0 m

Boat relative to Water (V_bw)

Water relative to Shore (V_ws)

Boat relative to Shore (Resultant V_bs)

The Straight Crossing: If your boat speed is 5.0 m/s and the river speed is 3.0 m/s, what exact angle must you set to land perfectly straight across the river?
The Time Paradox: Set your boat angle to 0° and speed to 4.0 m/s. Record data for three different river speeds. Does the speed of the river affect how long it takes to cross? Why or why not?
Battling the Current: Try pointing the boat upstream (negative angles). Can you find a combination of boat speed, angle, and river speed where the boat doesn't move relative to the shore at all?

SEP (Science & Engineering Practices): Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking — Use mathematical representations to describe and support claims about the velocity and displacement of an object.
DCI (Disciplinary Core Ideas): PS2.A: Forces and Motion — Understanding vectors and frames of reference is a prerequisite for analyzing how forces change macroscopic motion and how momentum is conserved.
CCC (Crosscutting Concepts): Systems and System Models — Defining the boundaries of a system (the boat, the water, the shore) to analyze how independent components interact to produce a resultant effect.