Finding the distance an object will travel

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In summary, the object will travel a certain distance if the force striking it is constant, and if the object has the same mass when it's stopped.
  • #1
baseballer10p
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Hi. I have a question about finding the distance an object will travel along a horizontal surface. If I have a force striking an object directly in the horizontal direction, how would I go about finding how far it will travel? I already have found the frictional force acting on the object being struck, I have the mass of the object being struck, and the force striking the object. Just for clarification, this object will be sliding across a surface, not rolling. Also, there will not be, (or shouldn't be, hopefully) any movement in the vertical direction. If anyone can help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
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  • #2
A force striking an object doesn’t mean anything. A force can act on an object for a certain period of time, due to which the momentum or velocity of the body is changed.

If the frictional force is constant, then force/mass will give the deceleration. Then just apply the formula for const accn, if you know the initial speed. The final speed is zero.
 
  • #3
It's simple if consider the friction coeficient constant. The initial velocity is known (you've got to calculate it somehow), you can calculate the dynamic energy of the object: E =0.5mv^2. Then the distance is derived from the work done by friction force:
E = A = F*s.
 
  • #4
Shooting star, if I use the formula for constant acceleration, then I will end up with this:
[tex](V^2-V_0^2)/(2*a) = \Delta x[/tex]
If I use this equation with no acceleration, then I won't be able to get a distance because you can't divide by zero. Or, is the acceleration not zero?
 
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  • #5
That's right. If the body comes to rest, then V=0, so you can find delta_x if you know the initial velo. (Remember, 'a' is -ve.)
 
  • #6
what is "e" in the equation a = -ve?

Oh, also, I only know the force striking the object, I don't know the initial velocity.
 
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  • #7
"-ve" is short for negative.

As I have said earlier, "a force striking an object" is meaningless. You must know the duration for which it acted on the body, or some other information.
 
  • #8
Ok, the force acted on the body for an instant; it struck the object, and the object started moving. It was similar to a hockey stick hitting a puck.
 
  • #9
Then you have to give some info about what the impact did to the body -- chnage in momentum, energy, whatever...
 
  • #10
Are you sure this isn't an impulse momentum problem, from there you can find the constant acceleration.
 
  • #11
It's not really a problem, I'm doing an experiment where I hit an object with a hammer to see how far it travels. I have to determine whether the mass of the object affects how far it travels. Clearly it does, but I need some kind of relationship to prove it.
 
  • #12
F=ma-u, (F+u)/m equals net acelleration=a. now what is needed is the time the object travels when coming to a complete stop.
 

1. How do you calculate the distance an object will travel?

To calculate the distance an object will travel, you need to know its initial velocity, acceleration, and time. You can use the formula d = ½at^2 + vt, where d is the distance, a is the acceleration, t is the time, and v is the initial velocity.

2. What is the difference between distance and displacement?

Distance is the total length traveled by an object, while displacement is the straight-line distance from the initial position to the final position. Displacement takes into account direction and is often represented as a vector, while distance is a scalar quantity.

3. How does air resistance affect the distance an object will travel?

Air resistance, also known as drag, can significantly affect the distance an object will travel. It opposes the motion of the object and can cause it to slow down, reducing the distance it will travel. The amount of air resistance depends on the object's shape, surface area, and speed.

4. Can the distance an object travels be greater than its displacement?

Yes, the distance an object travels can be greater than its displacement. This can happen when the object has traveled in a curved path or has changed direction multiple times, resulting in a longer distance but the same displacement.

5. How can you use a graph to find the distance an object will travel?

You can plot a graph of the object's position over time and use the slope of the line to determine its velocity. You can then use the velocity and time to calculate the distance traveled using the formula d = vt. Alternatively, you can also use the area under the velocity-time graph to find the distance traveled.

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