Calculating Acceleration from Tennis Serve Data

In summary, the conversation discusses the fastest served tennis ball, measured at 73.14 m/s by "Big Bill" Tilden in 1931. The mass of a tennis ball is 57.0 g and it is in contact with the tennis racquet for 30.0 milliseconds, starting from rest. The equations mentioned are F=ma and p=mv, but there is difficulty finding the acceleration. The attempt at a solution involves finding the average acceleration using the equation a=(Vf-Vo)/t, but incorrect units were used, resulting in the incorrect answer of 1389660.
  • #1
trynagetby
2
0

Homework Statement



The fastest served tennis ball, served by "Big Bill" Tilden in 1931, was measured at 73.14 m/s. The mass of a tennis ball is 57.0 g, and the ball is typically in contact with the tennis racquet for 30.0 {\rm ms}, with the ball starting from rest.

Homework Equations



F=ma
p=mv (?)
don't understand how to find the acceleration

The Attempt at a Solution



f=57(a)

found the momentum in an attempt to relate it to acceleration, but I failed. Any ideas on how to find the acceleration?
 
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  • #2
What's the definition of acceleration?
 
  • #3
trynagetby said:

Homework Statement



The fastest served tennis ball, served by "Big Bill" Tilden in 1931, was measured at 73.14 m/s. The mass of a tennis ball is 57.0 g, and the ball is typically in contact with the tennis racquet for 30.0 [itex]{\rm ms}[/itex], with the ball starting from rest.

Homework Equations



F=ma
p=mv (?)
don't understand how to find the acceleration

The Attempt at a Solution



f=57(a)

found the momentum in an attempt to relate it to acceleration, but I failed. Any ideas on how to find the acceleration?
Hello trynagetby. Welcome to PF.

The ball goes from zero to 73.14 m/s in 30 milliseconds. What's the average acceleration ?
 
  • #4
so it should be this

a=(Vf-Vo)/t

30 milliseconds = .03 seconds

73.14/.03 seconds

= 24380 ?

57(24380) = 1389660 but my online homework is telling me that's wrong
 
  • #5
put your units in your calculations and you'll see the problem.
 

What is the formula for finding acceleration in f=ma?

The formula for finding acceleration, given the force (f) and mass (m) of an object, is a = f/m. This means that acceleration is equal to the force applied divided by the mass of the object.

How do you calculate acceleration from a force vs. time graph?

To calculate acceleration from a force vs. time graph, you need to find the slope of the line on the graph. The slope represents the change in velocity over time, which is equal to the acceleration.

What is the SI unit of acceleration?

The SI unit of acceleration is meters per second squared (m/s^2). This means that for every second an object is in motion, its velocity will change by the given amount of meters per second.

What is the difference between average acceleration and instantaneous acceleration?

Average acceleration is calculated over a period of time, while instantaneous acceleration is measured at a specific moment in time. Average acceleration is the change in velocity divided by the change in time, while instantaneous acceleration is the derivative of the velocity function at a specific time.

How does mass affect acceleration?

According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. This means that the larger the mass of an object, the greater the force needed to produce the same acceleration as a smaller mass object.

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