In fighting forest fires, airplanes work in support of ground crewsby dropping water on the fires. A pilot is practicing by dropping acanister of red dye, hoping to hit a target on the ground below. Ifthe plane is flying in a horizontal path 90.0 m above the ground and with a speed of69.0 m/s (153 mi/h), at what horizontal distance from thetarget should the pilot release the canister? Ignore airresistance.

Question

Physics

Angelica Kemp

7 November, 22:55

In fighting forest fires, airplanes work in support of ground crewsby dropping water on the fires. A pilot is practicing by dropping acanister of red dye, hoping to hit a target on the ground below. Ifthe plane is flying in a horizontal path 90.0 m above the ground and with a speed of69.0 m/s (153 mi/h), at what horizontal distance from thetarget should the pilot release the canister? Ignore airresistance.

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Answers (1)

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Alannah Trevino · Answer 1

The pilot should release the canister at a horizontal distance of 295.7m to the target

Explanation:

x = Horizontal distance

y = vertical distance

speed of the airplane in the horizontal direction = Ux = 69 m/s

Speed of the airplane in the vertical direction = Uy = 0 m/s

Since the airplane is opposing gravity, g = - 9.8 m/s^2, y = - 90m

y = Uy * t + ½ gt^2

-90 = (0*t) + ½ (-9.8) * t^2

-90 = (-4.9) * t^2

t^2 = - 90/-4.9

t^2 = 18.37

t=√18.37

t = 4.29 seconds

The time taken for the canister to drop on the target is 4.29 seconds

To calculate the horizontal distance from the canister to the target

X = Ux * t

X = 69 * 4.29

X = 295.7 m