Problem 4

An archer shoots an arrow with a velocity of 30 m/s at an angle of 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal. An assistant standing on the level ground 30 m downrange from the launch point throws an apple straight up with the minimum initial speed necessary to meet the path of the arrow. What is the initial speed of the apple and at what time after the arrow is launched should the apple be thrown so that the arrow hits the apple?
Solution:

The motion of the arrow is a projectile motion. Then the motion of the arrow along horizontal direction is a motion with constant velocity:

Where the initial position is 0 and

. Then

Motion along vertical axis is a motion with constant acceleration, then

Where

, initial position is 0, and

. Then

Then we need to find the time when the arrow will be exactly above the assistant. At this moment of time x(t) =100. Then we can find the time:

Then we can find the height of the arrow at this moment of time:

The assistant should through the apple with minimal velocity so it will reach point 5.4 m and at this height the velocity should be 0. From this condition we can find the minimal velocity:

The time of the motion of the apple to this point is

Then the apple should be thrown after

Problem 12.

You are driving along the street at the speed limit (35mph) and 50 meters before reaching a traffic light you notice it becoming yellow. You accelerate to make the traffic light within the 3 seconds it takes for it to turn red. What is your speed as you cross the intersection? Assume that the acceleration is constant and that there is no air resistance.

Solution:

This is the motion with constant acceleration. If the acProblem 14. Mr. Letourneau is flying his broom stick parallel to the ground. He undergoes two consecutive displacements. The first is 100 km 10 degrees west of north, and the second is 120 km 50 degrees east of north. What is the magnitude of the broom stick's displacement?

Solution:

The displacement are shown schematically in the figure. From this figure we can see that the angle between the first and the second displacements is . Then from the triangle based on the first, second, and net displacements we can find the magnitude of the net displacement (cosine formula):

celeration of the car is a then we can write the expression for traveled distance:

We know the initial velocity , we also know that after 3 seconds the car travels distance 50 meters. Then we can find acceleration

Now we know acceleration, then we can find the final velocity:

Problem 14.

Mr. Letourneau is flying his broom stick parallel to the ground. He undergoes two consecutive displacements. The first is 100 km 10 degrees west of north, and the second is 120 km 50 degrees east of north. What is the magnitude of the broom stick's displacement?

Solution:

The displacement are shown schematically in the figure. From this figure we can see that the angle between the first and the second displacements is . Then from the triangle based on the first, second, and net displacements we can find the magnitude of the net displacement (cosine formula):

Problem 20.

The car drives straight off the edge of a cliff that is 57 m high. The investigator at the scene of the accident notes that the point of impact is 130 m from the base of the cliff. How fast was the car traveling when it went over the cliff?

Solution:

Motion along axis x (horizontal axis) is the motion with constant velocity. So we can write down the dependence of x-coordinate as a function of time:

Where is the initial velocity (the initial velocity has only x-component, its direction is along axis x). We know the final x-coordinate of the car it is 130 m. But we do not know the traveled time and the initial velocity. We can find the traveled time from the motion along axis y. This is the motion with constant acceleration (free fall acceleration). We know the height of the cliff this is the traveled distance in ydirection. We know that initial velocity (in y-direction) is 0. Then we can write the following equation:

From this equation we can find the traveled time:

Then from the motion along axis x we have: From this equation we can find initial velocity: