What is the formula for calculating gravitational field?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating gravitational fields and related kinematic problems involving projectile motion. Participants are exploring the context of gravitational effects on objects in motion, particularly in scenarios involving an astronaut on a new planet and a ball thrown upwards.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of energy considerations to relate kinetic and potential energy in projectile motion. There are attempts to derive gravitational field strength from observed accelerations and to clarify the relationship between force, mass, and gravitational acceleration.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants sharing insights and clarifying concepts. Some have provided guidance on using energy principles, while others are questioning assumptions related to angles and the application of formulas. There is no explicit consensus, but productive dialogue is occurring.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the constraints of homework rules, emphasizing understanding over simply providing formulas. There is a mention of needing to derive gravitational field strength from given data, which may imply missing information or assumptions about the environment.

404
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1. A person throws a ball upwards with a speed of 15 m/s, calc:
a) the time to the top of the trajectory (1.53s)
b) time the ball is in flight (3.06s)
c) max height of the ball (11.5m)

2. An astronaut is repairing top of her craft while docked on a strange new planet. ( :rolleyes: ) She throws a tool down to her partner below at 2.5 m/s. Her partner catches the tool 2.86m below when it has reached a speed of 11.5m/s.
a) What is the gravitational field? (22 N/kg)
b) What is her weight if her mass is 58 kg? (1300 N)

I don't want the solutions, but can someone give me formulas I'm suppose to use for these questions? All I have in my notes is g=F/m...
 
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The solution is more useful than just a formula. These shouldn't be just "look up the formula and plug it in", you should try to understand why they work, and if tehy dont, how to make them work.

For #1, use energy considerations to solve all three. The kinetic energy initially in the ball will do work against the gravitational field. It will gain potential energy until the KE is dispended, and at the point where KE is zero, the ball will be at its peak. Namely,

[tex]\frac{1}{2}mv^2 = mgh[/tex].
 
Well last time I asked for the solution was I given formulas so I thought I'd cut to the chase.

EDIT: ok number 1 worked out. Thanks
 
Last edited:
Oh for Number 2a), I found acceleration to be 22m/s^2. The answer is 22N/kg, so maybe you assume she's dropping at maximum angle 90. a = g sin(theta), sin would be 1, so gravity comes out to be 22? I don't know... Just a crazy guess.
 
[tex]22 m/s^2 = 22 N/kg[/tex]. If you don't see this, write out 1 Newton in terms of its base units (meters, seconds, kilograms). It says the object falls straight down, so we don't need to involve angles.
 
Ok, I see what you are saying now... Just making sure though, even though I included angles, was my thinking correct?
 
404 said:
Ok, I see what you are saying now... Just making sure though, even though I included angles, was my thinking correct?

You didn't show me any thinking, you showed me an answer which matches the one you gave as correct earlier in a different form. I'm guessing that you did it correctly since you came to the correct answer without knowing it.
 

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