Question
A white-crowned sparrow flying horizontally with a speed of 1.65 m/s folds its wings and begins to drop in free fall.
(a) How far does the sparrow fall after traveling a horizontal distance of 0.550 m?
(b) If the sparrow's initial speed is increased, does the distance of fall increase, decrease, or stay the same?
(a) How far does the sparrow fall after traveling a horizontal distance of 0.550 m?
(b) If the sparrow's initial speed is increased, does the distance of fall increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Answers
Steve
time to cover .550m = .550m / 1.65m/s = 1/3 s
distance fallen in 1/3 s = 4.9 * (1/3)^2 = 0.54m
since s(t) = Vo*t + 1/2 at^2, if its initial speed changes, its distance does so in like manner. Think about it. If you throw a rock down, it will fall farther than if you just drop it.
distance fallen in 1/3 s = 4.9 * (1/3)^2 = 0.54m
since s(t) = Vo*t + 1/2 at^2, if its initial speed changes, its distance does so in like manner. Think about it. If you throw a rock down, it will fall farther than if you just drop it.
Steve
Oops. Since the sparrow's speed is given as horizontal, it will fall the same vertical distance no matter how fast it is going horizontally.