Projectile Speed and Distance Calculation

In summary, a projectile with an initial speed of 60.0 m/s at an angle of 30 degrees above the horizontal lands on a hillside 4 seconds later. Neglecting air friction, the straight line distance from where the projectile was launched to where it hits the target is 212m. In another scenario, a soccer player kicks a rock horizontally off a 40.0m high cliff into a pool of water. If the player hears a splash 3 seconds later, the initial speed given to the rock is found by realizing the total time includes the time for the rock to fall and for the sound to travel back up. By finding the relationship between time and distance in the vertical direction, the horizontal distance traveled can
  • #1
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A projectile is launched with an initial speed of 60.0 m/s at an angle of 30 degrees above the horizontal. It lands on a hillside 4 sec later. Neglect air friction, what is the straight line distance from where the projectile was launched to where it hits the target?

I thought that was surprisingly easy, just use (sin30)*60*4, but I ended up with 207.84m, but the answer book said it was 212m? What did I do wrong?

A soccer player kicks a rock horizontally off a 40.0m high cliff into a pool of water. If the player hears a splash 3 sec later, what is the initial speed given to the rock? Assume speed of sound in air to be 343m/s

I figured out the vertical component of the initial speed to be 28 m/s, but how can you get the horizontal? I think you may be able to get the horizontal distance with the speed of sound?
 
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  • #2
What did I do wrong?
You're looking for the horizontal component of distance.

edit: unless there is more given information, your answer is correct. I think you accidentally wrote sin instead of cos.

I figured out the vertical component of the initial speed to be 28 m/s, but how can you get the horizontal? I think you may be able to get the horizontal distance with the speed of sound?
To solve this one you'll need to realize that the total time (3 sec) is the time it takes for the rock to fall, hit the water, then let the soundwave travel back up to you. Don't worry about horizontal and vertical components, treat it as if he dropped the rock.
 
  • #3
One has to figure the time that the rock falls 40 m. Assume it starts at rest and drops, accelerating with gravity. That is tf or time falling.

Then the sound take time, ts to return, and

tf + ts = 3 sec

Find the relationship between time and distance in the vertical direction.

The distance the sound traveled = L = [itex]\sqrt{{40m}^2+x^2}[/itex] where x is the horizontal distance traveled.

Assume constant velocity, vx in x-direction.
 
  • #4
Got it. Thank you.
 

1. What is projectile motion?

Projectile motion is the motion of an object through the air or space under the influence of gravity. It follows a parabolic path due to the downward acceleration of gravity.

2. What are the factors that affect projectile motion?

The factors that affect projectile motion are the initial velocity, angle of launch, air resistance, and the force of gravity. These factors determine the shape, height, and range of the projectile's path.

3. How does the angle of launch affect the range of a projectile?

The angle of launch affects the range of a projectile by changing the initial vertical and horizontal components of its velocity. A higher angle of launch results in a longer horizontal distance traveled, while a lower angle will result in a shorter horizontal distance.

4. How is the velocity of a projectile calculated?

The velocity of a projectile can be calculated by using the formula v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration due to gravity, and t is the time elapsed.

5. What is the maximum height of a projectile?

The maximum height of a projectile occurs at the highest point of its trajectory, where the vertical velocity becomes zero. It can be calculated using the formula h = (u^2 * sin^2θ)/(2g), where h is the maximum height, u is the initial velocity, θ is the angle of launch, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

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