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Physics question - Really clueless, help would be nice

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Fetus Bandit

PostPosted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:32 pm


This year my physics teacher has failed to understand her teaching material and can't teach worth s**t however continually gives us tests on subjects we know nothing about. Today we received this worksheet, I was hoping someone here may be able to clear up my foot-thick wall of mindfog.

"A visiting quarterback threw a football but he had a lousy sense of direction. He threw it toward SM Blvd [the street my school is on] but put too much velocity on the ball. The ball went into the parking lot which is 20 ft. lower than the football field. When the ball left his hand it was traveling at 25 m/s at an angle of 75°.
"A. How long did it take the football to reach its maximum height?
"B. How high above the parking lot did the ball reach?
"C. [What was] the total time the ball was in the air?
"D. How far from the quarterback would you have to be standing to catch the ball?"
PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:59 am


Well, how much projectile motion are you familiar with?

Can you split the velocity into x and y components?

Are you familiar with formulae such as v=u+at, v^2=u^2+2as or s = ut+1/2(at^2)

You have the quarterback at O(0,0) throwing the ball at 25m/s at an angle of 75°.

First, we need to split the velocity into x and y components.

Imagine you have a right angled triangle of hypotenuse of length 25 units, and θ = 75°
From this you can work out the other two side lengths, the vertical and the horizontal one as being 25sin75 and 25cos75 respectively.

Now, you can treat this as two seperate equations.
Generally, you assume that the only force acting upon the object is the force of gravity, with g=9.8m/s

So, we have a vertical speed of 25sin75, accelerating at -9.8m/s (gravity acts downwards).

Logically, the highest point is the one where is stops. Any longer, it's moving down again, any earlier, and it's still moving up.

We can use out equation of v=u+at. It's stopped, so u = 0. Now you can sub in values and rearrange for t, which is how long.

Now, you have a time, acceleration and initial velocity. Thus, to get the max height, we can use s=ut+1/2(at^2). Remembering that this gives us the height above the football field we can work out the height above the parking lot.

Now, you continue on to find when it hits the ground, sub in to get total time in the air, then distance travelled to see where you need to be to catch it.
Remember that we assume only force of gravity is acting, thus horizontal velocity is constant. Thus, with the time in the air, the range is given by d=vt.

Dave the lost


Fetus Bandit

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:05 pm


wow, thanks, this is really helpful.
PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:09 am


Dave the lost
Well, how much projectile motion are you familiar with?

Can you split the velocity into x and y components?

Are you familiar with formulae such as v=u+at, v^2=u^2+2as or s = ut+1/2(at^2)

You have the quarterback at O(0,0) throwing the ball at 25m/s at an angle of 75°.

First, we need to split the velocity into x and y components.

Imagine you have a right angled triangle of hypotenuse of length 25 units, and θ = 75°
From this you can work out the other two side lengths, the vertical and the horizontal one as being 25sin75 and 25cos75 respectively.

Now, you can treat this as two seperate equations.
Generally, you assume that the only force acting upon the object is the force of gravity, with g=9.8m/s

So, we have a vertical speed of 25sin75, accelerating at -9.8m/s (gravity acts downwards).

Logically, the highest point is the one where is stops. Any longer, it's moving down again, any earlier, and it's still moving up.

We can use out equation of v=u+at. It's stopped, so u = 0. Now you can sub in values and rearrange for t, which is how long.

Now, you have a time, acceleration and initial velocity. Thus, to get the max height, we can use s=ut+1/2(at^2). Remembering that this gives us the height above the football field we can work out the height above the parking lot.

Now, you continue on to find when it hits the ground, sub in to get total time in the air, then distance travelled to see where you need to be to catch it.
Remember that we assume only force of gravity is acting, thus horizontal velocity is constant. Thus, with the time in the air, the range is given by d=vt.

@.@ wow... that was difficult to understand... and i still don't think i understood that. I've never seen your equation before. what does the u and s represent? eek

AyameKurayami


Dave the lost

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:42 am


u is initial velocity, which you may have seen as v_0 perhaps, and s is displacement, which you may have seen as x or d.
PostPosted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:16 am


oh... I see. didn't know that.

AyameKurayami

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The Physics and Mathematics Guild

 
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