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A projectile is launched with an initial speed of \(60.0 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}\) at an angle of \(30.0^{\circ}\) above the horizontal. The projectile lands on a hillside \(4.00\) s later. Neglect air friction. (a) What is the projectile's velocity at the highest point of its trajectory? (b) What is the straight-line distance from where the projectile was launched to where it hits its target?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The velocity at the highest point of the trajectory is \(51.96 \, m/s\) and the straight-line distance from where the projectile was launched to where it hits its target is \(207.84 \, m\).

Step by step solution

01

Find the initial velocity components

The first thing to do is to decompose the initial speed into horizontal and vertical components using trigonometry. The initial horizontal velocity \(v_{i,x}\) is given by \(v_i \times \cos(\Theta)\), and the initial vertical velocity \(v_{i,y}\) is given by \(v_i \times \sin(\Theta)\). Here, \(v_i = 60.0 \, m/s\) and \(\Theta = 30^{\circ}\). So, \(v_{i,x} = 60 \cos(30^{\circ}) = 51.96 \, m/s\), and \(v_{i,y} = 60 \sin(30^{\circ}) = 30 \, m/s\).
02

Calculate the velocity at the highest point

Now, we will solve part (a) of the problem. At the highest point in its trajectory, the projectile is only moving horizontally. This means the vertical component of the velocity is zero, but the horizontal component is unchanged. Thus, the velocity at the highest point of the trajectory is simply the initial horizontal velocity \(v_{i,x} = 51.96 \, m/s\).
03

Calculate the straight-line distance

To solve part (b), we need to find the range or horizontal distance that the projectile covers. This is simply the horizontal speed multiplied by the time, i.e., Range = \(v_{i,x} \times t\). Where \(v_{i,x} = 51.96 \, m/s\) and \(t = 4.00 \, s\). So, Range = \(51.96 \, m/s \times 4.00 \, s = 207.84 \, m\).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Initial Velocity Decomposition
When dealing with projectile motion, one of the first steps is to break down the initial velocity into horizontal and vertical components. This helps us understand how the projectile moves in each direction. We use basic trigonometry to do this.

For a projectile launched with an initial velocity \(v_i\) at an angle \(\Theta\), the horizontal component \(v_{i,x}\) can be found using \(v_{i,x} = v_i \times \cos(\Theta)\). The vertical component \(v_{i,y}\) is given by \(v_{i,y} = v_i \times \sin(\Theta)\).

In our example, the initial speed is \(60.0 \, m/s\) and the launch angle is \(30^{\circ}\). By applying the formulas:
  • Horizontal Velocity: \(v_{i,x} = 60 \cos(30^{\circ}) = 51.96 \, m/s\)
  • Vertical Velocity: \(v_{i,y} = 60 \sin(30^{\circ}) = 30 \, m/s\)
Breaking down the velocity this way allows us to separately analyze the horizontal and vertical motions of the projectile.
Trajectory Analysis
Understanding the trajectory of a projectile is crucial to find its highest point and other features. The trajectory is the path followed by a moving object. In projectile motion, it's usually a parabolic path.

At the highest point of the projectile's trajectory, the vertical velocity component becomes zero. This is because gravity slows the vertical speed until it momentarily stops at the top. However, the horizontal component remains constant as there is no air resistance to slow it down.

For our problem, at the highest point:
  • Vertical Velocity: 0 \, m/s
  • Horizontal Velocity: \(51.96 \, m/s\)
This helps us determine that the velocity at the highest point is purely horizontal, matching the initial horizontal component.
Horizontal Range Calculation
The horizontal range of a projectile is the distance it travels horizontally between launch and landing. To find this, we multiply the horizontal velocity by the total time the projectile is in the air.

The horizontal velocity \(v_{i,x}\) remains constant during the flight if air friction is neglected. So, the formula for range is:
  • Range = \(v_{i,x} \times t\)

In our case, with \(v_{i,x} = 51.96 \, m/s\) and flight time \(t = 4.00 \, s\), the range becomes:
  • Range: \(51.96 \, m/s \times 4.00 \, s = 207.84 \, m\)
This calculation shows how far the projectile travels horizontally from its starting point.

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