Question

The record distance in the sport of throwing cowpats is 81.1 m. This record toss was set by Steve Urner of the United States in 1981. Assuming the initial launch angle was 45° and neglecting air resistance, answer the following. (a) Determine the initial speed of the projectile. m/s

Answer 1

28.2 m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

The range of a projectile launched from the ground is given by:

`d=(v^2)/(g)sin 2\theta`

where

v is the initial speed

g = 9.8 m/s^2 is the acceleration of gravity

`\theta` is the angle at which the projectile is thrown

In this problem we have

d = 81.1 m is the range

`\theta=45^(\circ)` is the angle

Solving for v, we find the speed of the projectile:

`v=\sqrt{(dg)/(sin 2 \theta)}=\sqrt{((81.1 m)(9.8 m/s^2))/(sin (2\cdot 45^(\circ)))}=28.2 m/s`