Calculate time traveled from launch to land

  • Thread starter Thread starter ://Justice
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Launch Time
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 2K views
://Justice
Messages
27
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


So, this is pretty easy and simple, I am just missing something obvious here I am pretty sure. This stems from a question I asked earlier tonight.
Calculate the time it took from launch to land, given a velocity of 30.197m/s, and a distance traveled of 85m. (other irrelevant data: Object was initially launched at 33 degrees. Refer to https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2890328#post2890328 for more info)


Homework Equations


Perhaps, X=Xo+volt+.5at^2 ?


The Attempt at a Solution


So, I would use the formula X=Xo+volt+.5at^2, correct? But then, I get a bit confused...
-.5t^2=volt-X
divide by t
-.5t=Vo-X
t=-2(Vo-X)
but that is incorrect, I think... SO I dunno... Help, please... Thank you

Oh, wait... Am I maybe just way over-analyzing this? Would it be as simple as Distance/Velocity=Time? Therefore, V=30.197m/s , and D=85m, so 85/30.197=2.815s. But that seems a bit short. The empirical data is 4s (we must find the percent error), that is quite a large percent error...
 
Physics news on Phys.org
In the horizontal direction there is no acceleration.

s = vo*cos(theta)*t.
 
rl.bhat said:
In the horizontal direction there is no acceleration.

s = vo*cos(theta)*t.

Which is why I excluded 'a' when simplifying the equation, because a=0. Let me try that equation. Hmm... that seemed to yield a much more reasonable answer, 3.356s. That seems to be correct. Yeah, I get it now. It makes sense. Funny how things can just click and then you get it. Thank's for the help, I knew that it was really simple, I was just making it complicated.

Do you think you could help me really quickly with one more? Sorry.
Q: Find the initial velocity, when the object is shot at 70 degrees and took 6.5s to land. (hint: look at the y direction first this time)

Now, I know that there is the method of dividing it up into components of x and y, however I did not quite understand that. When calculating the initial velocity, given distance traveled and degree, I used Range = v02sin2θ/g which worked great (refer to https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2890328#post2890328 ), however, I don't know if that can apply to this too... Sorry, but physics is really confusing me at the minute
 
Q: Find the initial velocity, when the object is shot at 70 degrees and took 6.5s to land. (hint: look at the y direction first this time)

If it lands on the ground, vertical displacement y is zero. Vertical component of the velocity is vo*sinθ.
Use the equation
y = vo*sinθ* - 1/2*g*t^2

Substitute the values and find vo.