Question

A kicker punts a football from the very center of the field to the sideline 39 yd downfield. What is the magnitude of the net displacement of the ball? (A football field is 55 yd wide.) What is the angle of the net displacement of the ball from a line down the center of the field?

Answer 1

x = 39
y = 55/2 = 27.5

d = sqrt [ 39^2 + 27.5^2 ]

tan theta = y/x = 27.5 / 39

Answer 2

I was able to figure out "What is the magnitude of the net displacement of the ball? "
It is 48 yd

I only need help with "What is the angle of the net displacement of the ball from a line down the center of the field?"

thanks

Answer 3

tan theta = y/x = 27.5 / 39
theta = tan^-1 ( 0.705) = 35.2 degrees