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A hot air balloon hovers at 92.4 m above the ground. The pilot drops a box over the edge of the basket. How fast does the person standing 10 m away, have to go to catch the box, before it hits the ground?

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Answer:

In order to catch the box before it hits the ground, the person needs to go as fast as approximately 5.96 m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

The height of the hot air balloon above the ground, s = 92.4 m

The location on the ground of the person intending to catch the box, x = 10 m away horizontally from the base location of the balloon

The time it takes the balloon released at zero vertical velocity is given by the following equation;

s = 1/2·g·t²

92.4 = 1/2 × 9.8 × t² = 19.6·t²

t² = 92.4/19.6 ≈ 4.714

t = √4.714 ≈ 1.68 seconds

The time, t, it takes the box to hit the ground ≈ 1.68 seconds

The speed, v, of the person standing 10 m away has to go to catch the box before it hits the ground is v = Distance/time =10/1.68 ≈ 5.96 m/s

In order to catch the box before it hits the ground, the person needs to go as fast as approximately 5.96 m/s.

User Fawwaz Yusran
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