Serway & Jewett — Motion in Two Dimensions: Problem 33

A farm truck moves due east with a constant velocity of 9.50 m/s on a limitless, horizontal stretch of road. A boy riding on the back of the truck throws a can of soda upward (Fig. P4.33) and catches the projectile at the same location on the truck bed, but 16.0 m farther down the road. (a) In the frame of reference of the truck, at what angle to the vertical does the boy throw the can? (b) What is the initial speed of the can relative to the truck? (c) What is the shape of the can’s trajectory as seen by the boy? An observer on the ground watches the boy throw the can and catch it. In this observer’s frame of reference, (d) describe the shape of the can’s path and (e) determine the initial velocity of the can.