What is the velocity of a car that falls off a cliff?

AI Thread Summary
To determine the velocity of a car that falls off a 53 m high cliff and lands 139 m away, the time of fall must first be calculated using the vertical distance and the acceleration due to gravity. The time taken for the fall is approximately 3.29 seconds. This time can then be used to find the horizontal velocity by applying the formula v = d/t, where d is the horizontal distance. The correct approach involves recognizing that the horizontal motion is independent of the vertical fall. Thus, the horizontal velocity can be accurately calculated using the derived time.
Maty
Messages
26
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



A car drives straight off the edge of a cliff that is 53 m high. The police at the scene of the accident note that the point of impact is 139 m from the base of the cliff. How fast was the car traveling when it went over the cliff?

Homework Equations



Distance=Acceleration*(Time^2) and any other distance, acceleration, velocity, time formulas.

The Attempt at a Solution



My attempt was to use the vertical distance and gravity to find the time it took to fall, and then somehow use that time (3.29s) to find the horizontal velocity. But I have no idea how to do that, and not even sure if I started it out right.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Never mind, I had the right number (3.29s) but wrong idea. Just had to plug in that number in v=d/t to get the velocity... Durr.
 

Thread 'Errors and significant figures'

I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
View full post »
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
View full post »

Similar threads

Distance traveled by a rock dropped off of a cliff....
Replies
2
Views
1K
Find final velocity in a horizontal projectile motion
Replies
2
Views
4K
Kinematics Equations and a Cliff
Replies
31
Views
3K
How to find the horizontal range of the car rolling off an inclined cliff
Replies
1
Views
3K
Rock is being thrown horizontally off a cliff (2d motion)
Replies
9
Views
3K
Stone thrown off a cliff: height and angle
Replies
5
Views
5K
Projectile thrown horizontally off a cliff
Replies
22
Views
4K
How Do You Calculate the Meeting Point of Two Stones Thrown from a Cliff?
Replies
1
Views
2K
How Fast Was the Second Stone Thrown to Match the First at the Cliff Base?
Replies
2
Views
2K
Boulder rolling off of cliff: will it hit the village?
Replies
16
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top