Free fall and distance traveled question.

In summary, four villains on motorcycles drive off a parking garage and land in a pile of sand, all taking off horizontally and ending up with equal flight times. The riders' initial speeds are ranked as v0B > v0D > v0C > v0A, and for ties, the answers would be listed alphabetically.
  • #1
Freemark
14
0

Homework Statement


(Yes this is a question about Batman.)

To escape from Batman, 4 villains on motorcycles drive
horizontally off the edge of a parking garage, landing in a pile
of sand. The riders all have different initial speeds: v0A =
14m/s, v0B = 24m/s, v0C = 18m/s, and v0D = 19m/s. Rank
these four riders in order of time of flight, from shortest time to
longest, with no spaces, using < or = symbols between them.
For ties, list answers alphabetically. For example: D<A=C<B


Homework Equations


Xf = Xi + Vix*dT + (1/2)a*dT^2

Vfx = Vix + a*dT

Vfx^2 = Vix^2 + 2a*dT

Xf = Xi + (1/2)(Vix + Vfx)*dT

The Attempt at a Solution


My first thought was to take a stab at finding Xf, and then finding delta T, but after going through with this my answer ended up being wrong. This is the information I gathered from the problem... It seems that I made my list wrong as I listed the horizontal acceleration as g when it shouldn't be, so I'm left with this.
Xi = 0
Xf = ?
Vix = Vo
Vfx = ?
ax = 0
dT= ?

Yi = ?
Yf = 0
Viy = ?
Vix = ?
ay = -g

This question really has me stumped. There's no angle theta and initial height of the building to help me out, so I'm confused.
 
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  • #2
To escape from Batman, 4 villains on motorcycles drive
horizontally off the edge of a parking garage, landing in a pile
of sand.
------------
Since all took off horizontally, thus zero vertical velocity, and landed on the same level, time of all flights are all equal.
A=B=C=D.
 
  • #3
azizlwl said:
To escape from Batman, 4 villains on motorcycles drive
horizontally off the edge of a parking garage, landing in a pile
of sand.
------------
Since all took off horizontally, thus zero vertical velocity, and landed on the same level, time of all flights are all equal.
A=B=C=D.

Thank you so much! I can't believe it was that simple... I suppose I should stop over-thinking this stuff.
 

1. What is free fall?

Free fall is the motion of an object falling under the influence of gravity, with no other forces acting on it. In this case, the only force acting on the object is the force of gravity, causing it to accelerate towards the ground.

2. How is free fall different from other types of motion?

In free fall, the object is not experiencing any resistance or opposing forces. This means that the object will continue to accelerate until it reaches its terminal velocity, or the maximum speed it can reach in free fall. Other types of motion may involve forces such as friction or air resistance, which can affect the object's speed and direction.

3. What is the formula for calculating distance traveled in free fall?

The formula for distance traveled in free fall is: d = 1/2 * g * t2, where d is the distance traveled, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2 on Earth), and t is the time in seconds. This formula assumes that the object is starting from rest.

4. How does mass affect an object's free fall?

Mass does not affect an object's free fall. In the absence of air resistance, all objects will fall at the same rate regardless of their mass. This is known as the principle of equivalence, which was first demonstrated by Galileo.

5. What is the difference between free fall and terminal velocity?

Free fall is the initial stage of an object falling, where it is accelerating towards the ground due to the force of gravity. Terminal velocity is the maximum speed that an object can reach in free fall, when the force of gravity is balanced by the force of air resistance. Once an object reaches terminal velocity, it will continue to fall at a constant speed without accelerating further.

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