Final answer:
To find out how long Thelma and Louise spend in the air, the Projectile motion equation should be used. As there is no initial vertical velocity, the problem is simplified to calculate the time of free fall from the 1000 m tall cliff using the kinematic equation for vertical displacement.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how long Thelma and Louise spend in the air after driving off a 1000 m tall cliff, you would use the Projectile motion equation. This particular problem involves both horizontal and vertical motion, with gravity acting in the vertical direction. Since there is no initial vertical velocity (vi = (30 m/s, 0)), the vertical motion can be treated as an object in free fall. The time of flight in a projectile motion scenario like this is determined solely by the vertical motion, not the horizontal motion.
To calculate the time spent in the air, we use the kinematic equation for vertical displacement in free fall:
y = yo + vot – 1/2 gt²
Where y is the final vertical position, yo is the initial vertical position (the height of the cliff), vo is the initial vertical velocity (which is zero in this case), g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s² downward), and t is the time. Here, we would set y to 0 (representing the ground level) and solve the equation for t to find the time spent in the air:
0 = 1000 + (0)t - 1/2(9.81 m/s²)t²
Therefore, solving for t will give us the total time in air.