Mechanics: Vectors and Projectiles

Vectors and Projectiles: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 28:

Sharon Steady and Al Wayskachon won South’s recent egg toss contest held during Homecoming week. In their winning toss, Sharon gave the egg an underhand toss, releasing it with a velocity of 8.06 m/s at an angle of 30° to the horizontal. To the pleasure of the crowd, Al caught the egg at the same height as the toss without even a fracture to its shell.

a. Calculate the horizontal and vertical components of the initial velocity.
b. Calculate the time for the egg to reach the midpoint of the trajectory.
c. Calculate the total time the egg is in the air.
d. Calculate the horizontal distance which the egg traveled from Sharon to Al.
e. Calculate the height of the egg (relative to the releast point) when it was at the peak of its trajectory.

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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