A spy in a speed boat is being chased down a
river by government officials in a faster craft.
Just as the officials’ boat pulls up next to the
spy’s boat, both boats reach the edge of a 5.3
m waterfall. The spy’s speed is 15 m/s and
the officials’ speed is 24 m/s.
How far apart will the two vessels be when
they land below the waterfall? The acceleration of gravity is 9.81 m/s
2
.
Answer in units of m
v1= 15 m/s, v2 = 24 m/s. h =5.3 m.
h =g•t²/2, t = sqrt(2•h/g) = 1.04 s.
L1 = v1•t = 15•1.04 = 15.6 m.
L2 = v2•t = 24•1.04 = 25 m.
ΔL = L2-L1 =25 – 15.6 =9.4 m