High School

We appreciate your visit to A housefly is flying around a baseball field At one point the insect is flying north at 2 3 meters per second At that instant. This page offers clear insights and highlights the essential aspects of the topic. Our goal is to provide a helpful and engaging learning experience. Explore the content and find the answers you need!

A housefly is flying around a baseball field. At one point, the insect is flying north at 2.3 meters per second. At that instant, a ball is flying past the insect, also going north, at a velocity of 34.0 meters per second.

From the fly's frame of reference, what is the velocity of the ball?

Select one:
a. [tex]-36.3 \, \text{m/s}[/tex]
b. [tex]31.7 \, \text{m/s}[/tex]
c. [tex]34 \, \text{m/s}[/tex]
d. [tex]36.3 \, \text{m/s}[/tex]

Answer :

To find the velocity of the ball from the frame of reference of the housefly, we need to determine their relative velocity. Here's how we can do that:

1. Identify the velocities:
- The velocity of the fly is 2.3 meters per second (m/s) going north.
- The velocity of the ball is 34.0 meters per second (m/s) going north.

2. Understand the concept of relative velocity:
- The relative velocity of one object with respect to another is the velocity of the object as seen from the second object's frame of reference. In this case, we're viewing the ball from the fly's perspective.

3. Calculate the relative velocity:
- To find how fast the ball appears to be moving from the fly's perspective, we subtract the velocity of the fly from the velocity of the ball.
- So, the relative velocity is calculated as:
[tex]\[
\text{Relative Velocity} = \text{Velocity of Ball} - \text{Velocity of Fly}
\][/tex]
- Substitute in the values:
[tex]\[
\text{Relative Velocity} = 34.0 \, \text{m/s} - 2.3 \, \text{m/s} = 31.7 \, \text{m/s}
\][/tex]

Therefore, from the fly's frame of reference, the velocity of the ball is 31.7 m/s. This matches option b.

The correct answer is:
b. [tex]\( 31.7 \, \text{m/s} \)[/tex]

Thanks for taking the time to read A housefly is flying around a baseball field At one point the insect is flying north at 2 3 meters per second At that instant. We hope the insights shared have been valuable and enhanced your understanding of the topic. Don�t hesitate to browse our website for more informative and engaging content!

Rewritten by : Barada