Since the acorn is thrown horizontally, the initial vertical velocity is 0 m/s. Let’s use the following equation to determine the time to fall 10 meters.
d = vi * t + ½ * a * t^2, vi = 0, a = 9.8
10 = 4.9 * t^2
t = √(10/4.9)
This is approximately 1.43 seconds. Let’s use the following equation to determine the horizontal distance it moves.
d = v * t = 1.1 * √(10/4.9)
This is approximately 1.57 meters. To determine the horizontal distance between the acorn and squirrel, subtract this distance from 5 meters.
d = 5 – 1.1 * √(10/4.9)
This is approximately 3.83 meters. To catch the acorn, the squirrel must move this distance in the same time as the acorn falls 10 meters.
Average velocity = ([5 – 1.1 * √(10/4.9] ÷ √(10/4.9) = 2.4 m/s
I hope this helps you to understand how to solve this type of problem.
