Question 7.S&C.7: The boy on the tower throws a ball 20 m downrange, as shown ...

Conceptual Physics Fundamentals [EXP-51843]

The boy on the tower throws a ball 20 m downrange, as shown in Figure 26. What is his pitching speed?

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The ball is thrown horizontally, so the pitching
speed is horizontal distance divided by time. A horizontal
distance of 20 m is given, but the time is not
stated. However, knowing the vertical drop is 5 m, you remember that a 5-m drop takes 1 s! From the equation for constant speed (which applies to horizontal motion), v = d/t = (20 m)/(1 s) = 20 m/s. It is interesting to note that the equation for constant speed, v = d/t , guides our thinking about the crucial factor in this problem—the time.

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