Question

A basketball player shoots the ball with an initial velocity of 15.8 ft./sec. at an angle of 43.8° with the horizontal. To the nearest tenth, find the initial horizontal component of the vector that represents the velocity of the ball.

A) 4.4 ft./sec.
B) 10.9 ft./sec.
C) 11.4 ft./sec.
D) 15.2 ft./sec.

Answer 1

The initial horizontal component of the vector which represents the velocity of the ball is; Choice C; 11.4 ft./sec.

What is the horizontal component of the ball's velocity?

It follows from the task content that the velocity vector of the ball has magnitude 15.8 ft./sec. and is at an angle of 43.8° with the horizontal.

On this note, it follows from vector resolution that the horizontal component of the ball's velocity is;

V(x) = V cos 43.8⁰

V(x) = 11.4ft./sec.

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