A crow is flying horizontally with a constant speed of 3.05 m/s when it releases a clam from its beak. The clam lands on the rocky beach 2.05 s later. Consider the moment just before the clam lands. (Neglect air resistance.)
(a) What is its horizontal component of velocity?
neglecting air friction, the horizontal velocity is the same as when the bird was carrying it.
To find the horizontal component of velocity, we need to consider that the crow is flying horizontally before releasing the clam. This means that the horizontal component of velocity remains constant throughout the motion.
Given that the horizontal speed of the crow is 3.05 m/s, we can conclude that the horizontal component of velocity of the clam just before it lands on the beach is also 3.05 m/s.
To find the horizontal component of velocity, we need to analyze the motion of the crow and the clam separately.
The horizontal component of velocity remains constant for the crow, since it is flying horizontally with a constant speed of 3.05 m/s. Therefore, the horizontal component of velocity for the crow is 3.05 m/s.
Now let's consider the motion of the clam. Since it is released by the crow, it has no initial horizontal velocity. The only force acting on the clam in the horizontal direction is gravity, but gravity does not affect the horizontal motion of the object.
The time taken for the clam to land, 2.05 s, is the time it takes for it to fall vertically to the ground. In this time period, the horizontal component of velocity remains constant at 0 m/s.
Therefore, the horizontal component of velocity just before the clam lands is 0 m/s.