Jackson hits a golf ball into the air at an angle of 37°off the ground. If the ball is moving horizontally at 40 m/s, how long will it take to hit the ground?
Explanation
Answer: C - The golf ball will hit the ground in roughly 3.06 seconds. The trajectory of the ball can be drawn as a 3-4-5 triangle, with the base being 40 m/s, the upward velocity being 30 m/s, and the diagonal velocity being 50 m/s. The fact that this can be drawn as a 3-4-5 triangle is confirmed by the angle 37 degrees. Thus, with a gravitational deceleration of -9.8m/s, the ball will hit the ground in 30/9.8 or about 3.06 seconds.
