Understanding the Concepts

* Projectile Motion: The soccer ball's motion is an example of projectile motion. This means it's affected by gravity, causing it to follow a curved path.

* Horizontal and Vertical Components: The initial velocity of the ball can be broken down into two components:

* Horizontal Velocity (Vx): This component remains constant throughout the flight (ignoring air resistance).

* Vertical Velocity (Vy): This component is affected by gravity and changes over time.

Calculations

1. Use Trigonometry: We can use the sine and cosine functions to find the horizontal and vertical components:

* Horizontal Velocity (Vx): Vx = V * cos(theta)

* Vertical Velocity (Vy): Vy = V * sin(theta)

Where:

* V = Initial velocity (26 m/s)

* theta = Launch angle (30 degrees)

2. Calculate Vx:

* Vx = 26 m/s * cos(30°)

* Vx ≈ 22.5 m/s

Answer:

The horizontal velocity component of the soccer ball is approximately 22.5 m/s to the nearest tenth.