Mechanics: Vectors and Projectiles

Vectors and Projectiles: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 17:

A weather report shows that a tornado was sighted 12 km south and 23 km west of your town. The storm is reported to be moving directly towards your town at a speed of 82 km/hr.

a. What distance from your town was the tornado sighted?
b. Approximately how much time (in minutes and hours) will elapse before the violent storm arrives at your town?

Audio Guided Solution

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Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

  • Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
  • Identify the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., vox = 12.4 m/s, voy = 0.0 m/s, dx = 32.7 m, dy = ???.
  • Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
  • Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
  • Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Vectors and Projectiles at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

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