Projectile Motion: Diver's Leap from a Tower with Vector Components

[ahrog]

Homework Statement

A diver leaps from the top of a tower with an initial horizontal velocity of 5.0 m/s and an upward velocity of 2.0 m/s. Use a vector diagram to indicate the diver's horizontal and vertical velocity components 1.0s after he leaves the tower.

Homework Equations

x=v_xt
y= v_yt + 1/2gt²
maybe v=d/t

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm not exactly sure how to go about this problem. Do I just use the x and y formula, and that is all?
Vx= x/t
=5/1
=5

Vy= (y-1/2gt²)/t
=(2-1/2(9.8)(1)²)/1
=-2.9

Would those be right?

 

[ak1948]

Not quite right. The best equation to use here is v2 - v1 = a(t2 - t1). So for vx, a =0 and v2 = v1 = 5. (as you said). For vy, a = -9.8 and v2 = 2 - 9.8 = -7.8.

 

[ahrog]

Really? They haven't mentioned that formula in what I've done so far...

 

[Mentallic]

I had never witnessed such a formula either till it clicked - it's just a slight modification to the v=u+at formula.
where:
v = final velocity
u = initial velocity
a = acceleration due to gravity
t = time

And yes, this is the best formula to use in this case. Horizontal velocity will be kept constant at 5ms^-1 since we are assuming no resistances, so you already know what that vector is going to be after 1 second. Now you just need to calculate the vertical vector with this equation, which ak1948 already gave as -7.8ms^-1.