Finding the Range of a Bullet Fired from a Sliding Incline

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In summary, a college student sliding down a 55.0° incline at a constant speed of 8.00 m/s fires a gun when it is 10.0 m above the ground. The bullet will have an acceleration of g and the skier's acceleration will be 0 along the incline.
  • #1
Toranc3
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Homework Statement



A college student holds a gun in a horizontal position while sliding down a 55.0° incline at a constant speed of 8.00 m/s. How far will the bullet travel with a velocity of 5m/s if the student fires the gun when it is 10.0 m above the ground?

Homework Equations

y=y0+ v0y*t+1/2*g*t^(2)

The Attempt at a Solution



If he is sliding down an incline his acceleration would be gsin(theta) right? What if the slider was sliding at a constant speed as in this case? Would his acceleration just be g?

Looking to find the time it takes for him to go from 10m to 0m in the vertical motion.
y=y0 + v0t + 1/2g*t^(2)

What would g be in this case? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Toranc3 said:

Homework Statement



A college student holds a gun in a horizontal position while sliding down a 55.0° incline at a constant speed of 8.00 m/s. How far will the bullet travel with a velocity of 5m/s if the student fires the gun when it is 10.0 m above the ground?

Homework Equations


y=y0+ v0y*t+1/2*g*t^(2)

The Attempt at a Solution



If a skier is skiing down an incline it's acceleration would be gsin(theta) right? What if the skier was skiing at a constant speed as in this case? Would his acceleration just be g?

Looking to find the time it takes for him to go from 10m to 0m in the vertical motion.
y=y0 + v0t + 1/2g*t^(2)

What would g be in this case? Thanks!
What does the skier have to do with this question regarding the bullet?
Are you wondering what would be the case is the student was sliding down the ramp without friction?

Then, yes, student's acceleration would be [itex]\displaystyle \ g\sin(55^{\circ})\ . [/itex]

However, the student slides with constant speed. Therefore his/her acceleration is zero.​
 
  • #3
SammyS said:
What does the skier have to do with this question regarding the bullet?
Are you wondering what would be the case is the student was sliding down the ramp without friction?

Then, yes, student's acceleration would be [itex]\displaystyle \ g\sin(55^{\circ})\ . [/itex]

However, the student slides with constant speed. Therefore his/her acceleration is zero.​

Oops sorry. I fixed that thanks. So for the equation y=y0+v0y*t+1/2*a*t^(2) a just goes to zero?
Since he is sliding down at constant speed he has zero acceleration along the incline but wouldn't he have acceleration pointing straight down?
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Toranc3 said:
Oops sorry. I fixed that thanks. So for the equation y=y0+v0y*t+1/2*a*t^(2) a just goes to zero?
Since he is sliding down at constant speed he has zero acceleration along the incline but wouldn't he have acceleration pointing straight down?
What do you mean by "it" goes to zero? What is "it"?

Well, the acceleration of the student is zero, if that's what you mean, but that doesn't have much to do with solving this problem, or using that kinematic equation. The bullet will have acceleration of g, after being fired.
 
  • #5
SammyS said:
What do you mean by "it" goes to zero? What is "it"?

Well, the acceleration of the student is zero, if that's what you mean, but that doesn't have much to do with solving this problem, or using that kinematic equation. The bullet will have acceleration of g, after being fired.

Hey I got it. Idk what I was thinking before but I got it now. Thanks for your help.
 

1. What is the concept of sliding an incline?

The concept of sliding an incline refers to the motion of an object that is placed on an inclined surface and allowed to slide down due to the force of gravity.

2. What factors affect the speed of sliding down an incline?

The speed of sliding down an incline is affected by the angle of the incline, the mass of the object, and the force of gravity acting on the object.

3. How is the acceleration of an object sliding down an incline calculated?

The acceleration of an object sliding down an incline can be calculated using the formula a = gsinθ, where a is the acceleration, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2), and θ is the angle of the incline.

4. How does the frictional force affect the motion of an object sliding down an incline?

The frictional force acts in the opposite direction of the motion of the object and can slow down or stop the object from sliding down the incline, depending on the magnitude of the force.

5. Are there any real-world applications of the concept of sliding an incline?

Yes, the concept of sliding an incline is commonly used in engineering and physics to understand and analyze the motion of objects on inclined surfaces, such as ramps, hills, and roller coasters.

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