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Xioxxi
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Homework Statement
A skier races down an 18 degree ski slope. During a 5.0s interval, the
skier accelerates at 2.5m/s squared. What are the horizontal and vertical
components of the skiers acceleration during this time?
Homework Equations
d = ViT + 1/2aT^2
d=distance
Vi=initial velocity
T=time
a=acceleration
The Attempt at a Solution
I drew a right angle triangle with the hypotenuse being the 18 degree incline slope the skier is descending on. The formula above is the only relevant one I've been able to find within my notes, and that's assuming initial velocity is zero (the "skier races" bit makes me suspicious). That said, when I solve it out with the formula, I get 31.25 for the hypotenuse. From there I try to use sin to figure out the bottom side of the triangle made by the downward acceleration, but I keep getting numbers like .59 or 9, which seem far too small for that specific side in relevance to the hypotenuse. I have a feeling this is just a stupid mistake, but our teacher has yet to go over using physics equations & trigonometric functions combined. I'd be extremely grateful for a push in the right direction.
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