Moderate

A stone is thrown horizontally with an initial speed 30 m/s from a bridge. Find the stone's total speed when it enters the water4 s later. (Ignore air resistance.)

Correct answer: C. 50 m/s

  • A. 30 m/s
  • B. 40 m/s
  • C. 50 m/s
  • D. 60 m/s

Explanation

The stone is thrown with an initial horizontal velocity of 30 m/s, so the horizontal component of its velocity remains constant at 30 m/s because there is no horizontal acceleration. The vertical component of velocity can be calculated using the equation vf = vi + at, where vi is the initial vertical velocity (0 m/s), a is the acceleration due to gravity (10 m/s2), and t is the time (4 s). Therefore, the vertical velocity after 4 seconds is vf = 0 + 10(4) = 40 m/s. The total speed of the stone is the resultant velocity, which is the vector sum of the horizontal and vertical components: √(302 + 402) = √2500 = 50 m/s.Options A and B are incorrect because they represent only one component of the motion. Option D is incorrect because it overestimates the resultant speed.

Last updated

About Force and Motion

Displacement, velocity and acceleration describe motion, including the horizontal and vertical components of projectile motion. The chapter connects these quantities with Newton's laws, momentum and impulse, then applies conservation of momentum to collisions, distinguishing elastic collisions from inelastic ones.

Practise Force and Motion

1,416 free Force and Motion MCQs from Physics, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.

Exams that ask Physics questions like this

Physics is on 13 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.

Related questions