A bullet is fired horizontally with an initial velocity of 300 m/s from a tower 20 m high. If air resistance is negligible, the horizontal distance the bullet travels before hitting the ground is about
A) 500 m.
B) 400 m.
C) 600 m.
D) 300 m.
E) 200 m.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the horizontal distance traveled by the bullet before hitting the ground, we first need to determine the time it takes for the bullet to fall 20 meters. Using the formula for the distance traveled under constant acceleration, $d = \frac{1}{2}gt^2$, where $d$ is the distance, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately $9.8 m/s^2$), and $t$ is the time in seconds. Solving for $t$, we get $t = \sqrt{\frac{2d}{g}}$. Substituting $d = 20 m$ and $g = 9.8 m/s^2$, we find $t = \sqrt{\frac{2 \times 20}{9.8}} \approx 2.02$ seconds.Since the bullet is fired horizontally with an initial velocity of $300 m/s$, and assuming air resistance is negligible, the horizontal velocity remains constant. Therefore, the horizontal distance traveled is the product of the horizontal velocity and the time, which is $300 m/s \times 2.02 s \approx 606 m$. Rounding to the nearest hundred gives approximately $600 m$.

A Bullet Is Fired Horizontally with an Initial Velocity of 300