Question

A train moving at a constant speed on a surface inclined upward at 10.0° with the horizontal travels a distance of 400 meters in 5 seconds. Calculate the vertical velocity component of the train during this time period

Answer 1

If the velocity of the train is v=s/t, where s is the distance and t is time, then v=400/5=80m/s. To get the vertical component of the velocity we need to multiply the velocity v with a sin(α): Vv=v*sin(α), where Vv is the vertical component of the velocity and α is the angle with the horizontal. So:

Vv=80*sin(10)=80*0.1736=13.888 m/s. 

So the vertical component of the velocity of the train is Vv=13.888 m/s.