Final answer:
The time it takes for the ball to hit the ground is calculated using the second equation of motion, with gravity as the only acceleration acting on the ball. The range is determined by multiplying the constant horizontal velocity by the time in the air.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve for the time it takes the ball to strike the ground (a), we'll use the second equation of motion under gravity, which is s = ut + (1/2)gt², where s is the vertical distance (2.2m), u is the initial vertical velocity (0 m/s), g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²), and t is the time in seconds. Setting the initial vertical velocity u to 0 (since the ball is only moving horizontally initially), our equation becomes 2.2 = (1/2)(9.81)t², which we can solve for t.
To find the range of the ball (b), we simply multiply the horizontal velocity by the time it takes to hit the ground. The horizontal component of velocity remains constant because there's no acceleration acting in the horizontal direction (we are ignoring air resistance).