Cat and Mouse Chase: Calculating Landing Distance on a 1.5m Table

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A mouse is being chased by a cat across a table of height 1.5 m. Before the mouse was about to be eaten, it deftly steps off the table edge, while the cat zooms by and off the table at 5 m/s. How far from the mouse does the cat land?

I don't know how to do this question, because the mouse's velocity is not given. Could it be that they land at the same place?
 
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pooka said:
A mouse is being chased by a cat across a table of height 1.5 m. Before the mouse was about to be eaten, it deftly steps off the table edge, while the cat zooms by and off the table at 5 m/s. How far from the mouse does the cat land?

I don't know how to do this question, because the mouse's velocity is not given. Could it be that they land at the same place?
If the mouse simply 'steps off' the table, then it is safe to assume that it's initial velocity is zero, as for a ball being 'dropped' from a given height.
 
Hootenanny said:
If the mouse simply 'steps off' the table, then it is safe to assume that it's initial velocity is zero, as for a ball being 'dropped' from a given height.

okay thanks! now i know how to do the question =)
 
Hootenanny said:
If the mouse simply 'steps off' the table, then it is safe to assume that it's initial velocity is zero, as for a ball being 'dropped' from a given height.

Okay i just tried doing the problem. Just need to clarify some things, are both the mouse's initial horizontal and vertical velocity zero then? for the cat is the horizontal velocity 5 while the inital vertical velocity is 0?
 
pooka said:
Okay i just tried doing the problem. Just need to clarify some things, are both the mouse's initial horizontal and vertical velocity zero then? for the cat is the horizontal velocity 5 while the inital vertical velocity is 0?
Sounds good to me :approve: