Answer:
Approximately .
Explanation:
Consider this slope and the trajectory of the skier in a cartesian plane. Since the problem is asking for the displacement vector relative to the point of "lift off", let that particular point be the origin .
Assume that the skier is running in the positive x-direction. The line that represents the slope shall point downwards at to the x-axis. Since this slope is connected to the ramp, it should also go through the origin. Based on these conditions, this line should be represented as .
Convert the initial speed of this diver to SI units:
.
The question assumes that the skier is in a free-fall motion. In other words, the skier travels with a constant horizontal velocity and accelerates downwards at ( near the surface of the earth.) At seconds after the skier goes beyond the edge of the ramp, the position of the skier will be:
- -coordinate: meters (constant velocity;)
- -coordinate: meters (constant acceleration with an initial vertical velocity of zero.)
To eliminate from this expression, solve the equation between and for . That is: express as a function of .
.
Replace the in the equation of with this expression:
.
Plot the two functions:
- ,
- ,
and look for their intersection. Refer to the diagram attached.
Alternatively, equate the two expressions of (right-hand side of the equation, the part where is expressed as a function of .)
,
.
The value of can be found by evaluating either equation at this particular -value: .
.
The position vector of a point on a cartesian plane is . The coordinates of this skier is approximately . The position vector of this skier will be . Keep in mind that both numbers in this vectors are in meters.