A hockey puck slides off the edge of a table with an initial velocity of 20.0 m/s. The height of the table above the ground is 2.0 m. What is the magnitude of the vertical component of the velocity of the puck just before it hits the ground?
A) 20.0 m/s
B) 6.26 m/s
C) 12.5 m/s
D) 19.6 m/s
E) 21 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The motion of the puck can be analyzed using the equations of motion under constant acceleration due to gravity. The horizontal component of the velocity remains constant (20.0 m/s), while the vertical component experiences a constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 downwards. Using the equation vf^2 = vi^2 + 2ad, where vf is final velocity, vi is initial velocity, a is acceleration, and d is displacement, we can calculate the final velocity of the puck just before it hits the ground:

vf^2 = vi^2 + 2ad
vf^2 = 0 + 2(9.8 m/s^2)(2.0 m)
vf = 6.26 m/s

Therefore, the magnitude of the vertical component of the velocity of the puck just before it hits the ground is approximately 6.26 m/s.

A Hockey Puck Slides Off the Edge of a Table