Answer:
[tex]2403\:\mathrm{m}[/tex]
Step-by-step explanation:
We can form a right triangle and use trigonometry for a right triangle to solve this. The ground distance the plane travels is its displacement in the x-direction. The 2500 meters the plane moves through represents the hypotenuse of right triangle, and the ground distance is the adjacent leg of the [tex]16^{\circ}[/tex] angle. Therefore, we set up the following equation:
[tex]\cos 16^{\circ}=\frac{x}{2500}[/tex], where [tex]x[/tex] is the ground distance.
Solving, we get [tex]x=2500\cdot \cos 16^{\circ} \approx \fbox{$2403\:\mathrm{m}$}[/tex].
