Question

A rifle bullet is fired at an angle of 30 degrees below the horizontal with an initial velocity of 800 m/s. What is the horizontal component of the bullet's velocity?

A. 400 m/s
B. 600 m/s
C. 692.8 m/s
D. 800 m/s

Answer 1

The horizontal component of the bullet's velocity can be found using trigonometry.

Step-by-step explanation:

The horizontal component of the bullet's velocity can be found using trigonometry. When a projectile is fired at an angle, its initial velocity can be broken down into horizontal and vertical components. In this case, the initial velocity of the bullet is 800 m/s and it is fired at an angle of 30 degrees below the horizontal.

To find the horizontal component of the velocity, we need to use the cosine function. The formula is:

Horizontal component = Initial velocity * cos(angle)

Substituting the values, we get:

Horizontal component = 800 m/s * cos(30 degrees)

Using the values from the unit circle, the cosine of 30 degrees is √3/2 (approximately 0.866).

Therefore, the horizontal component of the bullet's velocity is:

Horizontal component = 800 m/s * 0.866 ≈ 692.8 m/s