Name: ________________________________________________ Assignment Due Date: October 26, 2009

AP Physics: Vectors and Two-Dimensional Motion

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. Two people are in a boat that is capable of a maximum speed of 5 kilometers per hour in still
water, and wish to cross a river 1 kilometer wide to a point directly across from their starting point. If the
speed of the water in the river is 5 kilometers per hour, how much time is required for the crossing?
1
a. hr d. 10 hr
20
1
b. hr e. The point directly across from the
10
starting point cannot be reached under
these conditions.
c. 1 hr
____ 2.

Vectors V1 and V2 shown above have equal magnitudes. The vectors represent the velocities of an object at
times t1 and t2 respectively. The average acceleration of the object between time t1 and t2 was
a. zero d. directed north of east
b. directed north e. directed north of west
c. directed west
____ 3. At a particular instant, a stationary observer on the ground sees a package falling with speed v1 at an angle to
the vertical. To a pilot flying horizontally at constant speed relative to the ground, the package appears to be
falling vertically with a speed v2 at that instant. What is the speed of the pilot relative to the ground?
a. v1 + v2 d. v 21  v 22

b. v1 - v2 e. v 21  v 22
c. v2 - v1

7
Name: ________________________

____ 4.

A ball initially moves horizontally with velocity vi, as shown above. It is then struck by a stick. After leaving
the stick, the ball moves vertically with a velocity vf, which is smaller in magnitude than vi. Which of the
following vectors best represents the direction of the average force that the stick exerts on the ball?

a. d.

b. e.

c.
____ 5. A projectile is fired from the surface of the Earth with a speed of 200 meters per second at an angle of 30°
above the horizontal. If the ground is level, what is the maximum height reached by the projectile?
a. 5 m d. 1,000 m
b. 10 m e. 2,000 m
c. 500 m

Problem

6. A bullet is fired horizontally with an initial velocity of 245 m/s. The gun is 1.5 m above the ground. How long
is the bullet in the air?

2
Name: ________________________

7. A pitcher throws a fastball at 140 km/h toward home plate, which is 18.4 m away. Neglecting air resistance
(not a good idea if you are the batter), find how far the ball drops because of gravity by the time it reaches
home plate.

8. A projectile is launched with speed vo at an angle of To with the horizontal. Find an expression for the
maximum height it reaches above its starting point in terms of vo, To, and g.

9. A projectile is fired with an initial velocity of 30 m/s at 60q above horizontal. At the projectile's highest point,
what is its velocity? Its acceleration?

10. A ball thrown into the air lands 40 m away 2.44 s later. Find the direction and magnitude of the initial
velocity.

3
Name: ________________________

11. A cargo plane is flying horizontally at an altitude of 12 km with a speed of 900 km/h when a battle tank falls
out of the rear loading ramp. (a) How long does it take the tank to hit the ground? (b) How far horizontally is
the tank from where it fell off when it hits the ground? (c) How far is the tank from the aircraft when the tank
hits the ground, assuming that the plane continues to fly with constant velocity?

12. A cannon barrel is elevated at an angle of 45°. The cannon fires a ball with a speed of 300 m/s. (a) What
height does the ball reach? (b) How long is the ball in the air? (c) What is the horizontal range of the cannon?

13. A stone thrown horizontally from the top of a 24-m tower hits the ground at a point 18 m from the base of the
tower. (a) Find the speed at which the stone was thrown. (b) Find the speed of the stone just before it hits the
ground.

4
Name: ________________________

14. A projectile is fired into the air from the top of a 200-m cliff above a valley as shown in the figure below. Its
initial velocity is 60 m/s at 60q above the horizontal. Where does the projectile land?

15. A rock is thrown from the top of a 20-m building at an angle of 53q above the horizontal. If the horizontal
range of the throw is equal to the height of the building, with what speed was the rock thrown? What is the
velocity of the rock just before it strikes the ground?

5
Name: ________________________

16. A flock of seagulls has decided to mount an organized response to the human overpopulation of their favorite
beach. One tactic popular among the innovative radicals is bombing the sunbathers with clams. A gull dives
with a speed of 16 m/s, at an angle of 40q below the horizontal. He releases a projectile when his vertical
distance above his target, a sunbather's bronzed tummy, is 8.5 m, and scores a bull'seye. (a) Where is the
sunbather in relation to the gull at the instant of release? (b) How long is the projectile in the air? (c) What is
the velocity of the projectile upon impact?

17. The coach throws a baseball to a player with an initial speed of 20 m/s at an angle of 45q with the horizontal.
At the moment the ball is thrown, the player is 50 m from the coach. At what speed and in what direction
must the player run to catch the ball at the same height at which it was released?

18. If a bullet that leaves the muzzle of a gun at 250 m/s is to hit a target 100 m away at the level of the muzzle,
the gun must be aimed at a point above the target. How far above the target is this point?

6
Name: ________________________

19. A stunt motorcyclist wants to jump over 10 cars parked side by side below a horizontal launching ramp, as
shown below.With what minimum horizontal speed vo must the cyclist leave the ramp in order to clear the top
of the last car?

20. A baseball just clears a 3-m wall that is 120 m from home plate. If the ball leaves the bat at 45q and 1.2 m
above the ground, what must its initial speed be?