Which Coin Will Have a Greater Velocity Just Before it Hits the Street Below?

Question:

A coin is tossed horizontally from the balcony of a building at the same instant that another coin is dropped vertically. Which coin will have a greater velocity just before it hits the street below?

Answer:

The coin that is tossed horizontally from the balcony of a building will have a greater velocity just before it hits the street below. This is because the horizontally tossed coin will have both a horizontal and vertical velocity component, while the vertically dropped coin will only have a vertical velocity component.

Explanation:

Horizontal and Vertical Velocities: When the coin is tossed horizontally, it will initially have a horizontal velocity component that is determined by the force applied when tossing the coin. This horizontal velocity remains constant throughout the motion. Additionally, the coin will also have a downward vertical velocity component due to the force of gravity acting on it.

Vertical Velocity Component: On the other hand, the vertically dropped coin will only have a downward vertical velocity component due to the force of gravity acting on it.

Overall Velocity: Since the horizontally tossed coin has both horizontal and vertical velocity components, it will have a greater overall velocity just before it hits the street below compared to the vertically dropped coin, which only has a vertical velocity component.

In conclusion, the coin that is tossed horizontally from the balcony of a building will have a greater velocity just before it hits the street below.