Two bodies X and Y are projected on the same horizontal plane, with the same initial speed but at angles 30 and 60 respectively to the horizontal. Neglecting air resistance, the ra... Two bodies X and Y are projected on the same horizontal plane, with the same initial speed but at angles 30 and 60 respectively to the horizontal. Neglecting air resistance, the ratio of the range of X to that of Y is?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the ratio of the ranges of two projectiles launched at different angles (30 degrees and 60 degrees) with the same initial speed. We need to apply the projectile motion formula to find the range for each angle and then determine their ratio.
Answer
The ratio of the range of X to that of Y is \( \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \).
Answer for screen readers
The ratio of the range of X to that of Y is:
$$ \frac{R_X}{R_Y} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} $$
Steps to Solve
-
Understand the Range Formula The range ( R ) of a projectile launched at an angle ( \theta ) with initial speed ( u ) is given by the formula:
$$ R = \frac{u^2 \sin(2\theta)}{g} $$
where ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity. -
Calculate the Range for Projectile X For body X launched at ( 30^\circ ):
$$ R_X = \frac{u^2 \sin(2 \cdot 30)}{g} $$
Knowing ( \sin(60^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} ):
$$ R_X = \frac{u^2 \cdot \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{g} $$ -
Calculate the Range for Projectile Y For body Y launched at ( 60^\circ ):
$$ R_Y = \frac{u^2 \sin(2 \cdot 60)}{g} $$
Knowing ( \sin(120^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} ):
$$ R_Y = \frac{u^2 \cdot \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{g} $$ -
Find the Ratio of Ranges Now, we find the ratio of the ranges ( \frac{R_X}{R_Y} ):
$$ \frac{R_X}{R_Y} = \frac{\frac{u^2 \cdot \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{g}}{\frac{u^2 \cdot 1}{g}} $$
This simplifies to:
$$ \frac{R_X}{R_Y} = \frac{\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{1} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} $$ -
Final Ratio Calculation So the final ratio of the ranges is:
$$ \frac{R_X}{R_Y} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} $$
The ratio of the range of X to that of Y is:
$$ \frac{R_X}{R_Y} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} $$
More Information
This ratio shows that the range of projectile X (launched at 30 degrees) is ( \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} ) times that of projectile Y (launched at 60 degrees). The 30-degree launch angle provides a combination of horizontal and vertical motion resulting in a shorter range than the optimal 45-degree angle but more than some other angles.
Tips
- Confusing the angles used in the sine functions.
- Not simplifying the equations correctly before calculating the ratio.
- Forgetting to convert degrees to radians in calculations, which is unnecessary here since we use sine directly for common angles.
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