Motorcyclist Jumping off a Cliff Physics Problem
a) Draw a Diagram and Find Magnitude of Velocity and Components
A motorcyclist jumps off a cliff with a speed of 10 mi/hr horizontally. We need to find the magnitude of the velocity and its components after 0.5 seconds.
Diagram:
Let the x-axis represent horizontal direction and the y-axis represent vertical direction. The initial velocity is 10 mi/hr horizontally with no vertical component.
Calculations:
After jumping, the vertical component due to gravity is 11 mi/hr downwards after 0.5 seconds. Using Pythagorean theorem, the resulting speed is 14.87 mi/hr.
a) What are the initial speed and components of the velocity of the motorcyclist when he jumps off the cliff? At the moment the motorcyclist jumps, his speed is 10 mi/hr horizontally. After 0.5 seconds, the vertical component of speed due to gravity is 11 mi/hr downwards and the resulting speed is approximately 14.87 mi/hr.