a boy stands on a cliff overlooking a lake below. He throws a rock at an initial velocity of 8.0m/s,at an angle 25 degrees above the horizontal. The lake's surface is 4.5 m lower than the point the rock was released. Find the speed of the rock just before it hits the surface of the water. Ignore air friction.

final KE= Initial KE+ initial PE

1/2 mvf^2=1/2m(8)^2 + m*9.8*4.5

solve for Vf

can i do this with out m?

To find the speed of the rock just before it hits the surface of the water, we can break down the motion of the rock into horizontal and vertical components, and then use the principles of physics to solve for the final speed.

Here's how you can approach the problem step by step:

Step 1: Identify the given values and known variables:
- Initial velocity (v0) = 8.0 m/s
- Launch angle (θ) = 25 degrees
- Drop height (h) = 4.5 m
- Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s² (assuming we are on Earth)

Step 2: Resolve the initial velocity into its horizontal (v₀x) and vertical (v₀y) components:
- Horizontal component: v₀x = v₀ * cos(θ)
- Vertical component: v₀y = v₀ * sin(θ)

To find the horizontal and vertical components of the initial velocity, we use basic trigonometry.

Step 3: Calculate the time taken to reach the water's surface:
For vertical motion, we can use the equation:

h = v₀y * t - (1/2) * g * t²

Since the rock was dropped from rest vertically, we can assume v₀y = 0. Rearranging the equation, we get:

t = sqrt(2h / g)

Substituting the values, we get:

t = sqrt(2(4.5 m) / (9.8 m/s²))

Step 4: Calculate the time of flight (total time the rock is in the air):
Since the time of flight is double the time it takes to reach the water's surface, we can calculate:

Time of flight (T) = 2 * t

Step 5: Calculate the final velocity of the rock just before hitting the water:
The final velocity of the rock in the vertical direction can be calculated using the equation:

v_y = g * t

Since the rock was dropped vertically, v_y = 0 (final vertical velocity at the moment of hitting the water). Rearranging the equation, we get:

v = g * t

Substituting the values, we get:

v = 9.8 m/s² * sqrt(2(4.5 m) / (9.8 m/s²))

Simplifying the expression, we find:

v ≈ 8.84 m/s

Therefore, the speed of the rock just before it hits the surface of the water is approximately 8.84 m/s.