A quarterback is set up to throw the football to a receiver who is running with a constant velocity v⃗ rv→rv_r_vec directly away from the quarterback and is now a distance DDD away from the quarterback. The quarterback figures that the ball must be thrown at an angle θθtheta to the horizontal and he estimates that the receiver must catch the ball a time interval tctct_c after it is thrown to avoid having opposition players prevent the receiver from making the catch. In the following you may assume that the ball is thrown and caught at the same height above the level playing field. Assume that the y coordinate of the ball at the instant it is thrown or caught is y=0y=0 and that the horizontal position of the quarterback is x=0x=0.

a) V_o,y = 0.5*g*t_c

b) V_o,x = D/t_c - v_r

c) V_o = sqrt ( (D/t_c - v_r)^2 + (0.5*g*t_c)^2)

d)  Q = arctan ( g*t_c^2 / 2*(D - v_r*t_c) )

Explanation:

Given:

- The velocity of quarterback before the throw = v_r

- The initial distance of receiver = r

- The final distance of receiver = D

- The time taken to catch the throw = t_c

- x(0) = y(0) = 0

Find:

a) Find V_o,y, the vertical component of the velocity of the ball when the quarterback releases it.  Express V_o,y in terms of t_c and g.

b) Find V_o,x, the initial horizontal component of velocity of the ball.   Express your answer for V_o,x in terms of D, t_c, and v_r.

c) Find the speed V_o with which the quarterback must throw the ball.  

   Answer in terms of D, t_c, v_r, and g.

d) Assuming that the quarterback throws the ball with speed V_o, find the angle Q above the horizontal at which he should throw it.

Solution:

- The vertical component of velocity V_o,y can be calculated using second kinematics equation of motion:

                               y = y(0) + V_o,y*t_c - 0.5*g*t_c^2

                              0 = 0 + V_o,y*t_c - 0.5*g*t_c^2

                               V_o,y = 0.5*g*t_c

- The horizontal component of velocity V_o,x witch which velocity is thrown can be calculated using second kinematics equation of motion:

- We know that V_i, x = V_o,x + v_r. Hence,

                               x = x(0) + V_i,x*t_c

                               D = 0 + V_i,x*t_c

                               V_o,x + v_r = D/t_c

                                V_o,x = D/t_c - v_r

- The speed with which the ball was thrown can be evaluated by finding the resultant of V_o,x and V_o,y components of velocity as follows:

                           V_o = sqrt ( V_o,x^2 + V_o,y^2)

                          V_o = sqrt ( (D/t_c - v_r)^2 + (0.5*g*t_c)^2)

- The angle with which it should be thrown can be evaluated by trigonometric relation:

                            tan(Q) = ( V_o,y / V_o,x )

                            tan(Q) = ( (0.5*g*t_c)/ (D/t_c - v_r) )

                                   Q = arctan ( g*t_c^2 / 2*(D - v_r*t_c) )

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