A golf ball is hit with an initial velocity of 15 meters per second at an angle of 35 degrees above the horizontal. What is the vertical component of the golf ball's initial velocity?

a)8.6 m/s
b)9.8 m/s
c)12 m/s
d)15 m/s
I know you use 15cos 35 feta to solve the question but whenever i plug that into my calculator i get -13.553 The answer that my class got was 8.6m/s. How do you calculate it using a graphic calculator with getting a negative number?

Ay= (A)(cos theta)

Ay= (15 m/s)(cos 55 degrees)
Ay= 8.6 m/s

Vo = 15m/s[35o]

Yo = 15*sin35 = 8.60 m/s.

To calculate the vertical component of the initial velocity using a graphing calculator, you need to ensure that the calculator is set to work with angles measured in degrees, not radians. Follow these steps:

1. Enter 35 degrees into the calculator.
2. Find the cosine of 35 degrees by pressing the "cos" button.
3. Multiply the cosine value by the magnitude of the initial velocity, 15 m/s.

Make sure to double-check your calculator settings to ensure it is set to degrees mode.

To calculate the vertical component of the golf ball's initial velocity using a graphing calculator without getting a negative number, you need to make sure your calculator is set in the correct angle mode.

Here's a step-by-step procedure you can follow to get the correct answer:

1. Make sure your calculator is in degree mode rather than radian mode. Most graphing calculators have a setting to switch between these two modes, so check your calculator's user manual on how to change the angle mode.

2. To find the vertical component of the initial velocity, use the formula:
Vertical velocity (Vv) = Initial velocity (Vi) * sin(angle)

In this case, the initial velocity is 15 m/s, and the angle is 35 degrees.

3. Enter the angle into your calculator by pressing the cosine button (cos), followed by the angle (35), and then press Enter or =. This will give you the cosine of 35 degrees.

4. Multiply the result obtained in step 3 by the initial velocity (15 m/s) to get the vertical component of the initial velocity.

By following these steps, you should obtain a positive value for the vertical component of the initial velocity, which is the correct answer to the question. In this case, the correct answer is option (a) 8.6 m/s.