GRADE 11 UNIVERSITY PHYSICS

SPH3U1
Topic #5 W orksheet

Relative Motion Practice Problem s

1. A baseball pitcher is warm ing up as he travels to a gam e by plane. The plane is flying at 400 km /h [W ]
relative to the ground. The pitcher throws the ball at 150 km /h relative to the airplane. W hat is the
ball’s velocity relative to the ground, if the pitcher throws the ball towards...
a) the front of the plane? (550 km /h [W ])
B) the back of the plane? (250 km /h [W ])

2. A jet plane travelling horizontally at 1200 km /h relative to the ground fires a rocket forwards at 1100
km /h relative to itself. W hat is the velocity of the rocket relative to the ground. (2.3 x 10 3 km /h)

3. A boat is travelling upstream at 5 km /h [N] relative to the shore. If there is a current of 7 km /h [S], what
is the boat’s velocity relative to the water? (12 km /h [N])

4. A swim m er jum ps into a river and swim s straight for the other side at 1.5 km /h[N] relative to the water.
There is a current in the river of 2.0 km /h[W ]. W hat is the swim m er’s velocity relative to the shore?
(2.5 km /h [37 o N of W ])

5. A conductor in a train travelling at 12.0 km /h [N] relative to the ground, walks across the aisle at 5.0
km /h [E] relative to the train. W hat is his velocity relative to the ground? (13.0 km /h [23 o E of N])

6. A m ouse is crawling inside a cart which is being pushed across the deck of a m oving boat. The m ouse
is m oving at 0.5 m /s [E] relative to the cart. The cart is travelling at 1.2 m /s [E] relative to the surface of
the boat, and the boat is m oving at 4.0 m /s [N] relative to the water. W hat is the velocity of the m ouse
relative to the water? (4.3 m /s [23 o E of N])

GRADE 11 UNIVERSITY PHYSICS

SPH3U1
Topic #5 W orksheet

Relative Motion Practice Problem s

1. A baseball pitcher is warm ing up as he travels to a gam e by plane. The plane is flying at 400 km /h [W ]
relative to the ground. The pitcher throws the ball at 150 km /h relative to the airplane. W hat is the
ball’s velocity relative to the ground, if the pitcher throws the ball towards...
a) the front of the plane? (550 km /h [W ])
B) the back of the plane? (250 km /h [W ])

2. A jet plane travelling horizontally at 1200 km /h relative to the ground fires a rocket forwards at 1100
km /h relative to itself. W hat is the velocity of the rocket relative to the ground. (2.3 x 10 3 km /h)

3. A boat is travelling upstream at 5 km /h [N] relative to the shore. If there is a current of 7 km /h [S], what
is the boat’s velocity relative to the water? (12 km /h [N])

4. A swim m er jum ps into a river and swim s straight for the other side at 1.5 km /h[N] relative to the water.
There is a current in the river of 2.0 km /h[W ]. W hat is the swim m er’s velocity relative to the shore?
(2.5 km /h [37 o N of W ])

5. A conductor in a train travelling at 12.0 km /h [N] relative to the ground, walks across the aisle at 5.0
km /h [E] relative to the train. W hat is his velocity relative to the ground? (13.0 km /h [23 o E of N])

6. A m ouse is crawling inside a cart which is being pushed across the deck of a m oving boat. The m ouse
is m oving at 0.5 m /s [E] relative to the cart. The cart is travelling at 1.2 m /s [E] relative to the surface of
the boat, and the boat is m oving at 4.0 m /s [N] relative to the water. W hat is the velocity of the m ouse
relative to the water? (4.3 m /s [23 o E of N])