Calculating Air Resistance Work on a Thrown Ball

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the work done by air resistance on a thrown 5kg ball with an initial velocity of 30 m/s and air resistance of 25N, consider the forces acting on the ball. While ascending, the total opposing force is the sum of gravitational force (49N) and air resistance (25N), which can be used to determine the time to reach the peak height. On the descent, the force acting on the ball is gravity minus air resistance, allowing for the calculation of the time to hit the ground. The work done by air resistance can be calculated as the force times the total displacement, which is twice the height reached. It's important to note that air resistance is not constant, complicating the calculations for kinetic energy and final velocity.
BunHead
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let's say i have a 5kg ball and i throw it up with an initial V of 30m/s with air resistance of 25, how would i find the work done by air resistance on the way up and on the way down?
 
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Air resistance of 25? 25 what?
 
25N ... Thnx
 
While the ball is going up you have a total force of (5*9.8 + 25) N acting against the movement. So you can calculate how long it will take for the velocity to be zero and the corresponding height.
When the ball goes down, there will be a force of (5*9.8 - 25) N accelerating it. Knowing the height the ball starts on, you can calculate the time to reach ground.
edited to add:
The work done by air resistance is the force times the diplacement. Or 25N times twice the height.
 
Just for fun...how would we calculate the Kinectic energy back to the original place?
 
Find the height it will go, that distance multiplied by each force acting on it will give the work done with each force. 5*9.8 = 49N from gravity and 25N from air resistance.

Keep in mind though air resistance isn't constant, so saying 25N from air resistance doesn't really make sense.
 
Loozer said:
Just for fun...how would we calculate the Kinectic energy back to the original place?

Once you know the height the ball has attained and the accelerating force down (5*9.8+25)N, you can calculate the final velocity V. The kinectic energy is 5*V2
 
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