A soccer ball is kicked horizontally off a bridge with a height of 36m. The ball travels 25m horizontally before it hits the pavement below. What was the soccer ball’s speed when it was first kicked?

The initial velocity at which the ball is kicked is 9.22 m/s

Explanation:

Given

bridge height, h = 36 m

Horizontal distance at which ball falls, = 25 m

Firstly, we have to find the time taken by ball to reach vertically. It is calculated using formula,

d = t +

where d is vertical distance, d = h and a is acceleration due to gravity, a = g = 9.8 m/. Also initially ball is at rest, hence = 0. Substituting the values in the formula, we get

-36 = 0 + (-)   (negative sign is because the object moves downward)

= 7.347

t =

 = 2.711 s

To find: initial velocity

We know that horizontal velocity is derived from horizontal distance and time:

=

     =

     = 9.22 m/s

the total distance that martina travels that day is

(distance from home to mom's office) plus (distance from mom's office to school)

plus (distance from school to library) plus (distance from library to friend's house)

plus (distance from friend's house to martina's house).

(we don't know what any of these distance actually is.)