Question

The launching velocity of a projectile is 20 m/s at 53° above the horizontal. what is the vertical component of its velocity at launch? its horizontal component of velocity? neglecting air friction, which of these components remains constant throughout the flight path? which of these components determines the projectile's time in the air?

Answer 1

The vertical component of the projectile's launch velocity is determined by the sine of the launch angle, whereas the horizontal component is found using the cosine. Only the horizontal component remains constant during flight, and the time in the air is determined by the initial vertical velocity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the vertical and horizontal components of a projectile's velocity at launch and which of these components affects the time the projectile stays in the air. Using trigonometric functions, the vertical component (Vy) can be found by multiplying the launching velocity by the sine of the launch angle, and the horizontal component (Vx) by the cosine of the launch angle. In this specific case, the initial vertical velocity is 20 m/s * sin(53°), and the initial horizontal velocity is 20 m/s * cos(53°).

Without air resistance, the horizontal velocity component remains constant throughout the projectile's flight, while the vertical component changes due to gravity. The time the projectile spends in the air is determined solely by its initial vertical velocity and the acceleration due to gravity.