A hockey puck is given an initial velocity such that 𝑣𝑥 = 12 m/s and 𝑣𝑦 = 18 m/s, where the 𝑥 – 𝑦 plane is horizontal.

What angle does the initial velocity make with the 𝑥 axis?

1 answer

We can find the angle θ by using the tangent formula:

tan(θ) = v_y / v_x

Plugging in the values, we get:

tan(θ) = 18 / 12
tan(θ) = 1.5

Taking the arctan of both sides:

θ = arctan(1.5)
θ ≈ 56.31 degrees

Therefore, the initial velocity makes an angle of approximately 56.31 degrees with the x-axis.