Question

1. A pelican flying along a horizontal path drops a fish from a height of 5.4 m while traveling 5.0 m/s. How far does the fish travel horizontally before it hits the water below?

Answer 1

The horizontal distance the fish travels before hitting the water is independent of the height the fish is dropped from, and the speed at which the pelican is traveling. The horizontal distance is determined only by the time the fish is in the air, which can be found using the equation:

Distance = Speed * Time

To find the time, we use the equation:

Time = sqrt(2 * Distance / Acceleration due to gravity)

Where distance is the height the fish is dropped from (5.4m) and the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s^2

Time = sqrt(2 * 5.4 / 9.8) = sqrt(2 * 5.4 / 9.8) = sqrt(1.08) = 1.03s

So the fish is in the air for 1.03s and the horizontal distance it travels is given by:

Distance = Speed * Time = 5.0m/s * 1.03s = 5.15m

So the fish will travel horizontally 5.15m before hitting the water.