physics projectile question:

Question

A fox sees a piece of carrion being thrown from a hawk’s nest and rushes to snatch it. The nest is 14.0 m high, and the carrion is thrown with a horizontal velocity of 1.5 m/s towards the fox. The fox is 7.0 m away from the base of the tree. What is the fox’s average velocity if it grabs the carrion in its mouth just as it touches the ground?

Answer 1

Kavitha

Calculate time taken for the carrion to hit the ground

s = ut + 0.5 a t²

s = 14, u = 0 (no initial vertical velocity), a = 9.8 (acceleration downwards due to gravity)

So t = ^{√ (28 / 9.8)}

Horizontal velocity of carrion is 1.5 m/s (constant as no force or acceleration in that direction)

So horizontal distance before it hits ground = 1.5 t

Distance fox needs to run = 7 - 1.5 t

Speed of fox (m/s) = distance / time = 7/t - 1.5

So you need to find this for the t given above

^Mike