Question

A projectile launched horizontally hits the ground in 0.8 seconds. If it had been launched with a much higher speed in the same direction, it would have hit the ground (neglecting Earth's curvature and air resistance) in

A) 0.8 seconds
B) Less than 0.8 seconds
C) More than 0.8 seconds
D) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

For a projectile launched horizontally, the time it takes to hit the ground is determined by the vertical motion, unaffected by the speed in the horizontal direction. So, if it was launched at a higher speed horizontally, it would still hit the ground in 0.8 seconds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is about a projectile launched horizontally and how the time it takes to hit the ground would change if it was launched at a higher speed. Regardless of the horizontal component of the speed, the time it takes for a horizontally launched projectile to hit the ground depends solely on the vertical component of the motion. Since there is no vertical velocity at the start (because it is launched horizontally), the only vertical motion is due to gravity. Hence, the time to hit the ground is the same regardless of the horizontal speed. The answer is A) 0.8 seconds.