Harry accidentally falls out of a helicopter that is traveling at 80 m/s. He plunges into a swimming pool 4 seconds later. Assuming no air resistance, what was the horizontal distance between Harry and the swimming pool when he fell from the helicopter?
To calculate the horizontal distance between Harry and the swimming pool when he fell from the helicopter, we need to determine the horizontal component of his motion. Let's break down the problem.
1. The initial horizontal velocity (Vx) of Harry when he fell from the helicopter is the same as the helicopter's velocity, which is given as 80 m/s.
2. The horizontal distance (dx) that Harry travels is equal to his horizontal velocity multiplied by the time (t) it took him to fall into the pool.
dx = Vx * t
Now, we can substitute the given values:
dx = 80 m/s * 4 s = 320 m
Therefore, the horizontal distance between Harry and the swimming pool when he fell from the helicopter is 320 meters.