A projectile was fired at 35 degrees above the horizontal. At the highest point in its trajectory its speed was 200 m/s. If air resistance is ignored, the initial velocity had a horizontal component of 0.
How is this possible? Someone explain it for me please. ty
Well, imagine the projectile was fired by a magician who specializes in horizontal levitation! With their magical powers, they were able to eliminate the initial horizontal component of velocity. It's like the projectile said, "No need for horizontal speed, I'm just going to go up and enjoy the view!" So, it zoomed up at an angle of 35 degrees above the horizontal without any initial horizontal push. Of course, in reality, it's all about the way the forces and angles are calculated. But wouldn't it be fun if it involved a little magic?
In this scenario, a projectile was fired at an angle of 35 degrees above the horizontal. The highest point in its trajectory refers to the point where the projectile reaches its maximum vertical displacement. At this highest point, the speed of the projectile was 200 m/s.
When it is mentioned that the initial velocity had a horizontal component of 0, it means that the projectile was fired directly upwards without any horizontal motion. This implies that the initial velocity of the projectile was purely vertical.
It is important to note that when a projectile is fired with an initial angle above the horizontal, it follows a parabolic trajectory. At the highest point of this trajectory, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity is momentarily equal to zero, while gravity continues to act on it. As a result, the projectile momentarily comes to rest at this point.
The fact that the speed at the highest point is 200 m/s means that just before reaching the highest point, the projectile was moving vertically upwards with a speed of 200 m/s. However, as gravity acts on it, the vertical velocity gradually decreases until it reaches zero at the highest point. After reaching the highest point, the projectile starts descending, gaining speed again due to the influence of gravity.
This scenario is possible because, despite the horizontal component of the initial velocity being zero, the vertical component still allows the projectile to be launched upwards and reach a maximum height before descending.
In this scenario, a projectile is fired at an angle of 35 degrees above the horizontal. At the highest point in its trajectory, the speed of the projectile is given as 200 m/s. Since air resistance is ignored, we can assume that the only force acting on the projectile is gravity.
Now, let's break down the motion of the projectile and why the initial velocity has a horizontal component of 0.
When a projectile is launched at an angle, it can be split into two independent components: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal component relates to motion in the x-direction, while the vertical component deals with motion in the y-direction.
In this case, since the initial velocity has no horizontal component (0 m/s), it means that the projectile is only moving vertically upwards at the beginning. It is important to note that even though there is no initial horizontal velocity, the projectile will still experience horizontal displacement during its trajectory due to the effect of gravity.
As the projectile moves upwards, it starts to slow down under the influence of gravity until it reaches its highest point or peak. At this point, its vertical velocity becomes 0 m/s, and it starts to fall downwards. The speed at the highest point (200 m/s) represents its initial vertical velocity.
The time taken to reach the highest point and the time taken for the projectile to reach the ground can be calculated using kinematic equations and considering the acceleration due to gravity (-9.8 m/s²). The horizontal displacement can also be determined using the time of flight and the formula for horizontal distance traveled, which is (horizontal velocity) × (time of flight).
To summarize, it is possible for a projectile to have an initial velocity with no horizontal component, as it can be fired at an angle above the horizontal. The initial velocity will have only a vertical component, and the projectile's motion will be influenced by gravity, resulting in a parabolic trajectory.