Projectile motion velocity perpendicular to acceleration · CAP 2005 #10

Physics · mechanics

Problem

A projectile is launched with an initial velocity

v_i

, with

v_{ix}

and

v_{iy}

the horizontal and vertical velocity components, respectively. When is there a point on its trajectory after launch where its velocity is perpendicular to its acceleration? (a) Always; (b) only if

v_{ix} \neq 0

and

v_{iy}

points upward; (c) only if

v_{ix} \neq 0

; (d) always, except if

v_{ix} = 0

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