- #1
Element1674
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Homework Statement
"A slingshot fires a stone horizontally from a tower 32 metres high, and it lands 135 metres from the foot of the tower. What was the speed at which it left the slingshot?"
Verticle Height = 32m
Horizontal Distance = 135m
The Attempt at a Solution
I first calculated the time the rock is in the air using t=sqrt(2s/g). I got 2.55s which is the same as the textbook. However, the textbook then calculates the velocity of the rock using s/t. They get an answer of 53m/s. However this is where I'm confused: isn't this calculating the average speed of the stone?
Alternatively, I calculated the inital velocity of the stone using s=(Vi)(t) + 0.5(a)(t^2). You know all variables in this equation (s=135m, t = 2.55s, a = 9.8m/s^2) so I just rearranged to find the inital velocity.
I'm a self-taught beginner at Physics who just needs a little help with this question :(