Calculating Final Velocity of an Object Falling off a Cliff

[Chiralic]

Homework Statement

If you have an object, say, falling off a cliff
and you have initial velocity (Vox) can you assume that its Vf would be zero in both x and y if it doesn't state or ask for a final velocity before impact?
eg) a car drives off a cliff and the site of impact is 32 m from the cliff, find Vo...can I assume Vf is 0?

thanks

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[CaptainZappo]

I do not understand why this assumption would be necessary.

In the example of a car driving off a cliff, the solution can be found by finding the time it takes an object to fall the vertical distance of the cliff and then dividing the horizontal distance by that time. The final velocity does not come into play at all.

Homework Statement

If you have an object, say, falling off a cliff
and you have initial velocity (Vox) can you assume that its Vf would be zero in both x and y if it doesn't state or ask for a final velocity before impact?
eg) a car drives off a cliff and the site of impact is 32 m from the cliff, find Vo...can I assume Vf is 0?

thanks

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[Doc Al]

If you have an object, say, falling off a cliff
and you have initial velocity (Vox) can you assume that its Vf would be zero in both x and y if it doesn't state or ask for a final velocity before impact?
eg) a car drives off a cliff and the site of impact is 32 m from the cliff, find Vo...can I assume Vf is 0?

Why in the world would you assume that? Falling bodies accelerate. The final speed of a body falling off a cliff will always be greater than its initial speed--not zero!

What you can assume is that the horizontal speed of the falling body remains constant.

 

[esalihm]

if the final velocity is zero (which is just before the impact),
then there would be no impact!

do you mean something else by "vf" ??