Question

1. a pirate in the middle of a sea battle sets his cannon to a 20° angle and launches a cannonball at 200 m/s toward the merchant ship. how quickly is the cannonball going to be covering the space between ships?

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the relevant component

We need the horizontal - component of the velocity. The formula for the horizontal component of velocity $v_x$ of a projectile launched with initial velocity $v_0$ at an angle $\theta$ is $v_x = v_0\cos\theta$.

Step2: Substitute the given values

Given $v_0 = 200$ m/s and $\theta=20^{\circ}$. We know that $\cos(20^{\circ})\approx0.9397$. Then $v_x = 200\times\cos(20^{\circ})=200\times0.9397 = 187.94$ m/s.

Answer:

$187.94$ m/s