In this article, (and video above), we determine the distance a golf ball travels. A question on this topic would typically be found in the Dynamics section of the FE Exam and therefore will give you a better understanding of what you can expect during the exam. This week’s problem was created and solved by Enrique Ivers, an Engineer in Training.
Question:
A golfer on level ground attempts to drive a golf ball across a 900 ft. wide pond, hitting the ball so that it travels initially at 200ft./s. The ball travels at an initial angle of 45° to the horizontal plane. How far will the golf ball travel, and does it clear the pond?
Solution:
The elevation of the ball above the ground is:
The horizontal distance of the ball above the ground is:
When the ball hits the ground,
Solving for t, the time to impact is:
We substitute the time to impact into the expression for x to obtain an expression for the range:
Answer:
The correct answer is D.
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I hope you found this week’s FE Environmental engineering exam prep question helpful. In upcoming articles, I will answer more FE Exam questions and run through more practice problems. We publish videos bi-weekly on our Pass the FE Exam YouTube Channel. Be sure to visit our page here and click the subscribe button as you’ll get expert tips and tricks – to ensure your best success – that you can’t get anywhere else. Believe me, you won’t want to miss a single video.
Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of the videos or here on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.
I’ll see you next week.
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
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