Minimum speed for ramp jump at 10 degree takeoff angle

  • Thread starter Thread starter endeavor
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    2d Speed
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 10K views
endeavor
Messages
174
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


A stunt driver wants to make his car jump over 8 cars parked side by side below a horizontal ramp (Fig. 3-46). (a) With what minimum speed must he drive off the horizontal ramp? The vertical height of the ramp is 1.5 m above the cars and the horizontal distance he must clear is 20m. (b) What is the new minimum speed if the ramp is now titled upward, so that "takeoff angle" is 10 degrees above the horizontal, and nothing else is changed?

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/6396/chp3pro46sk5.th.png

I need help on part b.
y0 = 1.5m
x = 20m.
Z = 10 degrees

Homework Equations


x = (v0 cos Z) t
0 = y0 + (v0 sin Z)t - 0.5*g*t2

The Attempt at a Solution


I have two equations in two variables, t and v0. So I solved for v0:
[tex]v_0^2 = (\frac{x^2}{2g\cos^2 Z})(\frac{1}{y_0 + x \tan Z})[/tex]

So, plugging in, I got 2.05 m/s for v0. But that has to be wrong, especially since my answer in (a) is 36m/s.

What am I doing wrong?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
I know what I did wrong. I put g in the denominator, but it should be in the numerator...
 
algebra mistake... the g should be placed on the numerater...
 
How did you develop the equation to solve for the initial velocity?