Question

Review Conceptual Example 5 and Concept Simulation 3.1 before beginning this problem. You are traveling in a convertible with the top down. The car is moving at a constant velocity of 18.6 m/s, due east along flat ground. You throw a tomato straight upward at a speed of 12.8 m/s. How far has the car moved when you get a chance to catch the tomato

Answer 1

d=48.55m

Step-by-step explanation:

We will calculate for how long the tomato was in the air, and then how much the car moved in that time.

Since the tomato is in accelerated motion (free fall) we can write
`v=v_0+at`.

We want t from here:

`t=(v-v_0)/(a)`

We want the time the tomato was in the air. Taking the upward direction as positive, and taking into account that its final velocity will be the same as the initial velocity but directed downwards, we have:

`t=((-12.8m/s)-(12.8m/s))/((-9.81m/s^2))=2.61s`

(We could have done this by calculating the time to reach maximum height, where the final velocity is 0m/s, and multiply the result by 2 since the time for going up is the same as the time for going down).

The car moves at constant speed, so its displacement will be
`d=vt`, and substituting the values we have we get:

`d=vt=(18.6m/s)(2.61s)=48.55m`