Final answer:
The initial horizontal component of the velocity is approximately 259.8 m/s, and the initial vertical component is 150 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the initial horizontal and vertical components of the velocity of the small missile, we can use trigonometry. Since the missile was fired at an angle of 30.0° above the ground, we can find the horizontal component using the formula: initial horizontal velocity = initial velocity * cos(angle).
Plugging in the given values, we get: initial horizontal velocity = 300 m/s * cos(30.0°) = 300 m/s * √3/2 ≈ 259.8 m/s. To find the vertical component, we can use the formula: initial vertical velocity = initial velocity * sin(angle). Plugging in the given values, we get: initial vertical velocity = 300 m/s * sin(30.0°) = 300 m/s * 0.5 = 150 m/s.