Find the height from which the ball was thrown

In summary, a ball is thrown from an upper story window of a building with an initial velocity of 8.0m/s at an angle of 20.0 degrees below the horizontal. After 3.00 seconds, it strikes the ground. The horizontal distance traveled by the ball can be calculated using the formula R=vxi*t, where vxi is the initial horizontal velocity and t is the time. To find the height from which the ball was thrown, the basic kinematics formula h=vxi*t+1/2at^2 can be used. Lastly, the time it takes for the ball to reach a point 10.0m below the landing can be found by setting the vertical displacement to -10.0m
  • #1
innightmare
35
0

Homework Statement


A ball is tossed from an upper story window of a building. The ball is given an initial velocity of 8.0m/s at an angle of 20.0 below the horizontal. It strikes the ground 3.00s later.

a) How far horizontally from the base of the building does the ball strike the ground?
b) Find the height from which the ball was thrown
c)How long does it take the ball to reach a point 10.0 below the landing?


Homework Equations


for a. the equation is R=vxit=vicostheta)*2t
for b. h=v^2sin^2thetai/2*g
for c. I think its Rmax


The Attempt at a Solution


ive plugged in the values to the equations but i still don't get the correct answer
 
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  • #2
Part a) should be straightforward. What is the initial horizontal velocity? Does the horizontal velocity change at all?

you're also given the time... so you can calculate the horizontal displacement.
 
  • #3
innightmare;1432888 [h2 said:
Homework Equations[/h2]
for a. the equation is R=vxit=vicostheta)*2t

Why 2t?

for b. h=v^2sin^2thetai/2*g

They're not asking for the height the object reaches (which you won't get from this equation anyway... this equation only works when the initial height is 0)... they're asking for the height from which it is thrown.

Don't try to use those formulas... stick to the basic kinematics formulas. Keep it simple.
 

1. How do you find the height from which the ball was thrown?

To find the height from which the ball was thrown, you can use the formula h = (1/2)gt^2, where h is the height, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and t is the time the ball was in the air. You will need to measure the time the ball was in the air and plug it into the formula to calculate the height.

2. What units should be used to measure the time and height?

The time should be measured in seconds and the height should be measured in meters. This will ensure that the calculation will be accurate and consistent with the units used in the formula.

3. Can the height of the ball be determined if the time is not measured?

No, the height cannot be accurately determined without knowing the time the ball was in the air. The formula requires the time to be plugged in to calculate the height. Therefore, it is important to measure the time when trying to find the height from which the ball was thrown.

4. Is the height from which the ball was thrown affected by air resistance?

Yes, air resistance can affect the height from which the ball was thrown. The formula used assumes that there is no air resistance, so in real-life situations, the calculated height may not be completely accurate. However, for small objects and short distances, the effect of air resistance is negligible.

5. Can the height from which the ball was thrown be calculated using a different formula?

Yes, there are other formulas that can be used to calculate the height from which the ball was thrown, such as h = (1/2)at^2, where a is the initial velocity of the ball. However, the formula h = (1/2)gt^2 is commonly used and is sufficient for most situations.

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