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How to calculate y displacement in projectile mortion given the horizontal velocity

User Dan Gamble
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Final answer:

To calculate y displacement in projectile motion with given horizontal velocity, resolve the velocity into horizontal and vertical components, and apply kinematic equations to the vertical motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate y displacement in projectile motion, given the horizontal velocity, you need to:

  1. Determine a coordinate system.
  2. Resolve the velocity into horizontal (Ux) and vertical components (Uy), using the equations vx = v cos θ and vy = v sin θ, where v is the magnitude of the velocity and θ is its direction.
  3. Since the horizontal velocity is given, consider vx to be constant as horizontal acceleration (ax) is 0 in projectile motion.
  4. Analyze the motion in the vertical direction using kinematic equations, such as y = Uy t - ½ g t², where g is the acceleration due to gravity and t is the time of flight.
  5. If additional information is provided, like the time of flight or the initial vertical velocity, use that to find y displacement.

Remember, you would generally need more information than just the horizontal velocity to fully determine the projectile's y displacement, such as the vertical velocity, time of flight, or the angle of launch.

User Chih
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