A student kicks a soccer ball upward at a 30º angle with an initial speed of 20 m∕s. What expression should the student use to calculate the magnitude of the ball’s initial velocity in the horizontal direction?

Explanation:

Rectangular coordinates of vectors in 2D

Given a vector with a magnitude v and angle θ with respect to the positive horizontal direction, the x and y components of the vector are given by:

The soccer ball is kicked upward at an angle θ = 30° and at a speed v=20 m/s.

The rectangular components of the vector are:

Operating:

Operating: