Chapter 3, Problem 70GP

The shot put is a track-and-field event in which athletes throw a heavy ball—the shot—as far as possible. The best athletes can throw the shot as far as 23 m. Athletes who use the “glide” technique push the shot outward in a reasonably straight line, accelerating it over a distance of about 2.0 m. What acceleration do they provide to the shot as they push on it? Assume that the shot is launched at an angle of 37°, a reasonable value for an excellent throw. You can assume that the shot lands at the same height from which it is thrown; this simplifies the calculation considerably, and makes only a small difference in the final result.