Question

A cat is chasing a mouse. The mouse runs in a straight line at a speed of 2.2 m/s. If the cat leaps off the floor at a 29° angle and a speed of 4.0 m/s, at what distance behind the mouse should the cat leap in order to land on the poor mouse?

Answer 1

distance cat moves = 4 cos 29 * t
= 3.5 m/s * t
so
x position of cat = 3.5 t

x position of mouse = d + 2.2 t

they hit when
d = 1.3 t

now vertical problem
cat goes up at initial speed Vi = 4 sin 29 = 1.94 m/s
at time t, the cat is back on the ground
at time t/2 the cat has speed 0
0 = Vi - 9.1 (t/2)
0 = 1.94 - 4.55 t
t = .426 seconds in the air
d = 1.3 * .426 = .554 meters