182k views
1 vote
A descent vehicle landing on the moon has

a vertical velocity toward the surface of the
moon of 29.1 m/s. At the same time, it has a
horizontal velocity of 55.6 m/s.
At what speed does the vehicle move along
its descent path?
Answer in units of m/s.

009 (part 2 of 2)
At what angle with the vertical is its path?
Answer in units of ◦
.
If you can please explain 009

User Nxu
by
8.5k points

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

The speed along the descent path is 63.1 m/s and the angle with the vertical is 28 degrees.

Step-by-step explanation:

The speed at which the vehicle moves along its descent path can be found using the Pythagorean theorem. The horizontal velocity and vertical velocity form the two sides of a right triangle, with the descent path being the hypotenuse. Using the equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2, we can calculate the speed as:

Speed = sqrt((horizontal velocity)^2 + (vertical velocity)^2)

Plugging in the given values, we get:

Speed = sqrt((55.6 m/s)^2 + (29.1 m/s)^2) = 63.1 m/s

The speed at which the vehicle moves along its descent path is 63.1 m/s.

To find the angle with the vertical, we can use trigonometry. The angle can be found using the equation tan(theta) = opposite/adjacent, where the opposite side is the vertical velocity and the adjacent side is the horizontal velocity. Rearranging the equation, we get:

tan(theta) = vertical velocity/horizontal velocity

Plugging in the given values, we get:

tan(theta) = 29.1 m/s / 55.6 m/s = 0.523

Taking the inverse tangent of 0.523, we get:

theta = arctan(0.523) = 28 degrees

The angle with the vertical is 28 degrees.

User Lesque
by
9.0k points

No related questions found

Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.