A girl is playing on a flatcar which is moving in the positive x-direction at 10 m/sec. At time t0 she throws the ball straight upward (as viewed from the moving train) with an initial velocity 24.5 m/sec from a height 1 meter above the flatcar. From her point of view, the ball goes straight up and down, and lands on the flatcar directly below the point from which she threw it. However, an observer on the ground sees the ball travel in an arc.

 

Set up a coordinate system which is fixed to the earth (i.e. one which is not moving along with the train), with the y-axis pointing up and the x-axis pointing in the direction of motion of the train. Choose the origin to be the point in space which is 1 meter below the point from which the ball was released. Neglect air resistance, and take g = 9.8 m/sec^2.