Final answer:
The cliff diver was in the air for 3 seconds, and the height of the cliff is 44.1 meters. We use basic kinematic equations for projectile motion to solve for the time in the air and the height of the cliff.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how long the diver was in the air and how tall the cliff is, we can use kinematic equations for projectile motion. The horizontal distance covered by the diver is given as 18 meters, and the horizontal speed is 6 m/s.
a) Time in Air
We can find the time using the formula for horizontal motion which is distance = speed x time.
Time (t) = Distance (d) / Horizontal speed (v)
t = 18 m / 6 m/s
t = 3 seconds
The time the diver was in the air is 3 seconds.
b) Height of the Cliff
For the vertical motion, we'll use the formula d = ½ gt², where 'g' is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²) and 't' is the time in the air.
Height (h) = ½ g t²
h = ½ * 9.8 m/s² * (3 s)²
h = ½ * 9.8 * 9
h = 44.1 meters
The height of the cliff is 44.1 meters.