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A golfer stands 420 ft (140 yd) horizontally from the hole and 55 ft above the hole. Assuming the ball is hit with an initial velocity of 120 ft/s, at what angle (or angles) should it be hit to land in the hole? Assume the path the ball lies in a plane.

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Final answer:

The question asks for the angle at which a golfer should hit the ball to land it in a hole, given the initial velocity, horizontal distance, and vertical drop. It's a physics problem that requires using kinematic equations for projectile motion to find the possible angles for a successful shot.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is about determining the launch angle for a golf ball to land in a hole given the horizontal distance, the vertical drop, and the initial speed of the golf ball.

This is a physics problem that involves calculating the trajectory of a projectile. To find the angle or angles at which the golfer should hit the ball, we would need to apply the principles of projectile motion and use the known variables:

horizontal range (420 ft), height difference (55 ft above the hole), and initial velocity (120 ft/s).

To solve for the angle, we would use the kinematic equations for projectile motion in two dimensions. Since there could be two possible angles that allow for the ball to reach the target,

both angles would need to be calculated using relevant equations which may involve some level of mathematical complexity, such as solving for the roots of a quadratic equation or using trigonometric identities.

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