A pelican flying long a horizontal path drops a fish from a height of 4m.The fish travel 8.0m horizontally before it hits the water below .what is the pelican's speed
f = fish fall time = √(2 h / g)
pelican speed = 8.0 m / t
To find the pelican's speed, we can use the equations of motion for projectile motion.
Given:
Initial height (y₀) = 4 m
Horizontal distance (x) = 8.0 m
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s²
First, let's find the time (t) it takes for the fish to hit the water. We'll use the equation for vertical displacement:
y - y₀ = v₀y * t - (1/2) * g * t²
Since the fish falls vertically, its initial vertical velocity (v₀y) is 0. Therefore, the equation simplifies to:
-4 = -4.9 * t²
Solving for t, we find:
t² = 4/4.9
t ≈ √(0.816) ≈ 0.904 s
Now, let's find the initial horizontal velocity (v₀x) of the pelican. We can use the equation for horizontal displacement:
x = v₀x * t
Rearranging the equation, we have:
v₀x = x / t
v₀x = 8.0 m / 0.904 s ≈ 8.85 m/s
Therefore, the pelican's speed is approximately 8.85 m/s.