Final answer:
The speed of the football at the top of its trajectory can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem. The initial horizontal and vertical components of the velocity are known. At the top, when the vertical velocity becomes zero, the speed can be determined by finding the magnitude of the velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The speed of the football at the top of its trajectory can be determined by analyzing its vertical motion. At the top of the trajectory, the football's vertical velocity becomes zero. The speed at the top, also known as the magnitude of the velocity, can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem since the horizontal and vertical components of the initial velocity are known. Given that the horizontal component of the initial velocity is 5.5 m/s and the vertical component is 3.7 m/s, we can calculate the speed at the top using the equation:
Speed at the top = √(horizontal velocity2 + vertical velocity2)
Speed at the top = √(5.52 + 3.72) = √(30.25 + 13.69) = √44.94 ≈ 6.71 m/s.