Three listening stations located at (3300, 0), (3300, 1100), and (-3300, 0) monitor an explosion. The last two stations detect the explosion 1 second and 4 seconds after the first, respectively. Determine the coordinates of the explosion. (Assume that the coordinate system is measured in feet and that sound travels at 1100 feet per second.)

Now, from the question, since station A is the first to hear the explosion, we'll make it the foci of the parabola in the graph I attached and it will be horizontal since the distance between station C and A is much more than that between station B and A. Thus, the reason why station C will have to be the other foci with the hyperbola centred at the origin.

Now, sound travels at a speed of 1100 ft/s and station B is located 1100 ft from station A. Thus, the explosion would likely have occurred at a point on the line x = 3300ft . Since station A is 3300ft from centre C = 3300,hence C² = 3300² = 10,890,000. Since it takes 4 seconds longer for the sound to reach station C than A, the sound has traveled 4(1100)= 4400 ft.

Thus, 4400 = d1 = d2 = 2a

So,2a = 4400 and so, a =2200

a² = 2200² = 4,840,000 where d1 is the distance from station C to the explosion and d2 is the distance from station A to the explosion. To find b², let's use the equation ;

c² = a² + b² and so; b² = c² - a² = 10,890,000 - 4,840,000 = 6,050,000

Equation of hyperbola is given as;

(x²/a²) - (y²/b²) = 1

Plugging in the values of a² and b², we obtain ;

(x²/4,840,000) - (y²/6,050,000) = 1

Since we have deduced that the explosion must occur on the line x= 3300, we'll put in 3300 for x to obtain ;

(3300²/4,840,000) - (y²/6,050,000) = 1

2.25 - 1 = (y²/6,050,000)

y² = (1.25 x 6,050,000)

y² = 7562500

y = √7562500

y = ± 2750

Due to the fact that the explosion will occur at a point further from station B than from station A, the explosion will take place in quadrant 4. Thus, we will take the negative value of y which is - 2750.

So explosion will occur at the coordinate (3300, -2750)