Question

A Hot Wheels car rolls off a table at a speed of 2.32 m/s and hits the floor a distance of 0.766 m from the table's edge. Determine the height (in cm) of the table.

A) 56.5 cm
B) 73.5 cm
C) 78.1 cm
D) 46.3 cm

Answer 1

By using the principles of projectile motion and the known horizontal distance and velocity, we calculate the time of flight and then the height from which the car fell. The height of the table is calculated to be 53.5 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the height of the table from which a Hot Wheels car rolls off and hits the floor, we can use the principles of projectile motion.

Since the horizontal velocity is constant, we can calculate the time the car is in the air:

Time = Horizontal Distance / Horizontal Velocity
Time = 0.766 m / 2.32 m/s
Time = 0.33 s

Now, we use this time to calculate the vertical distance the car falls, which is the height of the table. We use the formula for the distance traveled under constant acceleration (which is gravity in this case):

Distance = 0.5 * g * t^2
Distance = 0.5 * 9.81 m/s^2 * (0.33 s)^2
Distance = 0.5 * 9.81 m/s^2 * 0.1089 s^2
Distance = 0.535 m

Converting meters to centimeters brings us to our final answer:

Height of the table = 0.535 m * 100 cm/m
Height of the table = 53.5 cm