Magnitue and direction of velocity

In summary, the tank from plane A (15 degrees above the horizontal) will hit the ground faster than the tank from plane B (15 degrees below the horizontal).
  • #1
pink1
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1. Two planes are each about to drop an empty tank. At the moment of the release each plane has the same speed of 135 m/s, and each tak is at the same height of 2.00 km above the ground. Although the speeds are the same, the velocities are different at the instant of release, because one plane is flying at an angle of 15.0 degrees above the horizontal, and the other is flying at an angle of 15.0 degrees below the horizontal. Find the magnitude and direction of the velocity with which the fuel tank hits the ground if it is from plane A(15 degrees above the horizontal), and plane B(15 degrees below horizontal). In each part, give the directional angles with respect to the horizontal.

2. Homework Equations : X= Xo+Vot+1/2 at^2 (same for y)
Vx= Vo+at (same for y)


I found my time to be 408 seconds (2 Xdistance in m(2000m)/a(9.8 m/s)
I then added my x and y coodinates for plane A:X=130, Y=35; for plane B: X=-130, y=-35. For the most pary I am lost. I'm not sure of how to find my y velocity or if I need to find it. Please help!
 
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  • #2
First you need to resolve the planes speed into a horizontal and vertical component.
Assuming no air resistance the horizontal componnet of the tank is constant so you need to use the vertical component to find the time and hence the vertical components of final velocity.
 
  • #3
thanks for the help,
so my speed would be 13.8s. I took my initial speed 135- my initial velocity 0, and divided by gravity. but that does not seem right
 
  • #4
No if your speed is 135mph at 15degrees your horizontal speed is 135 cos(15) = 130 horizontal and 135 sin(15) 35mph up/down.
Draw a triangle with the long side 135units and an angle of 15 degrees to see why.
 
  • #5
hi i got the velocity being 239m/s but not being able to find the directions of the plane??
 

FAQ: Magnitue and direction of velocity

1. What is the definition of magnitude and direction of velocity?

The magnitude of velocity is the speed of an object in a particular direction. The direction of velocity is the direction in which the object is moving.

2. How is the magnitude of velocity calculated?

The magnitude of velocity is calculated by dividing the distance an object travels by the time it takes to travel that distance. This gives the average speed of the object.

3. What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed is a scalar quantity that only describes how fast an object is moving. Velocity is a vector quantity that includes both the speed and direction of an object's motion.

4. How is the direction of velocity represented?

The direction of velocity can be represented using an arrow pointing in the direction of motion. The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of velocity.

5. What are some real-life examples of magnitude and direction of velocity?

Some examples include a car driving north at a speed of 60 mph, a plane flying east at a speed of 500 mph, or a person walking west at a speed of 3 miles per hour.

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