Question

A basketball player shoots the ball with an initial velocity of 17.1 ft/sec. at an angle of 45.6° with the horizontal. To the nearest tenth, find the initial horizontal component of the vector that represents the velocity of the ball.

A. 5.1 ft/sec.
B. 12.0 ft/sec.
C. 12.2 ft/sec.
D. 17.5 ft/sec.

Answer 1

The answer is B. 12.0 ft/sec

Answer 2

If a projectile is projected with velocity
`u` at an angle
`\theta` with horizontal, then the horizontal and vertical components of the velocity are

`u\cos \theta,u\sin \theta` respectively.

Here
`u=17.1\;ft/sec` and
`\theta=45.6^o`.

The horizontal component of the initial velocity is

`17.1\cos (45.6^o)=11.96`.

The approximate value is
`12.0\;ft/sec`.

Correct choice is (B).