Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Sample 2-D kinematics problems
- An airplane has a speed of 80 m/s and is diving at an angle
of 30 degrees below the horizontal
when the pilot releases a box full of food.
The food travels a horizontal distance of 800 meters
from the release point before it hits the ground.
- How long is the food in the air?
- How high above the ground was the plane when it released the food?
- (easy version) Joe stands at the top of a cliff overlooking a lake.
He drops a rock, and, 10 seconds later,
hears a "splash!"
- How high is the cliff?
answer, part 1
answer, part 2
- (hard version) Joe stands at the top of a cliff overlooking a lake.
He throws a rock horizontally outwards at speed v = 30 m/s,
and, 10 seconds later,
hears a "splash!"
- How high is the cliff?
- How fast did Joe throw the rock?
answer, part 1
answer, part 2
answer, part 3
- (easy version) While standing at the base of a hill,
Pam kicks a soccer ball.
The initial velocity of the ball was V = 30 m/s
oriented 50 degrees above the horizontal.
How far above the base of the hill does the ball land?
answer, part 1
answer, part 2
answer, part 3
- (harder version)
While standing on a level field,
Pam kicks a soccer ball so hard that it leaves the
field and lands on the slope of a nearby hill:
The initial velocity of the ball was V = 30 m/s
oriented 50 degrees above the horizontal.
How far above the level of the playing field does the ball land?
answer, part 1
answer, part 2
answer, part 3
Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.