The determined Wiley E Coyote is out once more to try to capture the elusive roa
ID: 1655538 • Letter: T
Question
The determined Wiley E Coyote is out once more to try to capture the elusive roadrunner. The coyote wears a pair of Acme jet powered roller skates, which provide a constant horizontal acceleration "a_c". The coyote starts off at rest "D" meters from the edge of a cliff at the instant the roadrunner zips by in the direction of the cliff. The cliff is "H" meters above the canyon floor. Given [a_c, D, H], Determine: a. If the roadrunner moves at constant speed, what should the roadrunners minimum speed be in order to reach the cliff before the coyote? b. As usual the roadrunner is saved by making a sudden turn at the cliff. Determine where the coyote lands in the canyon. (Assume is skates are still in operation when he is in flight) c. The velocity of the coyote just before hitting the canyon floor.Explanation / Answer
a) disatnce to be covered by Coyote= D = 1/2 ac t^2
t = sqroot ( 2D/ac)
minimum speed for roadrunner = 1/2 ( ac) t= 0.5 ac sqroot ( 2D/ac)
b) horixzontal velocity for Coyote = ac sqroot ( 2D/ac)
time of fall = sqroot ( 2H/g)
distance = ac sqroot ( 2D/ac) sqroot ( 2H/g) =2ac sqroot ( DH/ acg)
c) Vx = ac sqroot ( 2D/ac)
Vy = g t = g sqroot (2H/g)
V = sqroot ( Vx^2 + Vy^2) = sqroot ( ac^2 2D/ac + g^2 2H/g) = sqroot ( 2Dac + 2Hg)