In: Physics
An airplane drops a package. The plane is traveling horizontally at 40 m/s (so the initial velocity of the package is 40m/s horizontally) at a height of 100m above the ground. How long is the package in the air? Where does the package strike the ground relative to the point at which it was released? What is the velocity (magnitude and direction) of the package before it hits the ground
The package can be assumed as a horizontal projectile with initial velocity u = 40m/s released from a height h = 100m. The time taken by the package to reach the ground is the time of flight of the horizontal projectile. It is given by,
So the package was 4.52s in the air.
The distance between the point of release of package and the point it strike the ground is the range of the horizontal projectile and is given by,
So the package strikes 180.8m in the ground relative to the point at which it was released.
The magnitude of the velocity of the package before it reaches the ground is given by,
So the magnitude of the velocity of the package before it reaches the ground is 59.69m/s.
Its direction is given by,
So the direction of the velocity of the package before it reaches the ground is from the horizontal.