- #1
Jabedi13
Homework Statement
"A mortar emplacement is set 27,000 ft horizontally from edge of a cliff that drops 350 ft down from level of mortar...It is desired to shell objects concealed on the ground behind the cliff. What is the smallest horizontal distance d from the cliff face that shells can reach if fired at a muzzle speed 1000 ft/s"
Problem 4.17 from Exercises for the Feynman Lectures on Physics
Homework Equations
x = v*cos(theta)*t
v(y) = v*sin(theta) - g*t
y = v*sin(theta)*t -(1/2)*32*t^2
The Attempt at a Solution
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This may sound stupid, but I am really stumped on this one. If my basic understanding of the concept is correct, I should be trying to use 27,000 - d = x = v*cos(theta)*t Other attempts gave me incorrect answers.
With this equation I have three unknowns: d, theta, and time. I know I am probably missing something simple and stupid but I can not figure out how to use the projectile motion equations to eliminate the other variables.