Is Acceleration Affected by Direction and Speed Changes?

In summary, the conversation covers questions about the acceleration of a thrown ball and the speed of two balls thrown in opposite directions, as well as calculating the time it takes for a car to reach a certain speed.
  • #1
future_vet
169
0
Here's my last string of questions... for the week at least! :) Thank you all so much for your help.

If we throw a ball up, is its acceleration just before it reaches its highest point slightly higher than g? This would make sense to me, because if it was at g or lower, it would be ready to fall back down, or would be falling down...

If a ball is thrown up and another is thrown down, when they reach the ground, do they both have the same speed? Also, this would make sense to me, because they are both exposed to gravity.

A car traveling at 60 km/h accelerates at 2.0 m/s^2. How much time is required for the car to reach a speed of 90 km/h?
I calculated 15 seconds for that... It makes sense to me, but we never know...

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
future_vet said:
Here's my last string of questions... for the week at least! :) Thank you all so much for your help.

If we throw a ball up, is its acceleration just before it reaches its highest point slightly higher than g? This would make sense to me, because if it was at g or lower, it would be ready to fall back down, or would be falling down...
I wouldn't agree with this. Neglecting air resistance, what forces are acting on the ball when it is in flight? Thus, what is the acceleration of the ball?

If a ball is thrown up and another is thrown down, when they reach the ground, do they both have the same speed? Also, this would make sense to me, because they are both exposed to gravity.
If they're thrown from the same point then, yes.
A car traveling at 60 km/h accelerates at 2.0 m/s^2. How much time is required for the car to reach a speed of 90 km/h?
I calculated 15 seconds for that... It makes sense to me, but we never know...

How did you calculate it? I can't check you're right if I can't see what you've done! :smile:
 
  • #3
cristo said:
I wouldn't agree with this. Neglecting air resistance, what forces are acting on the ball when it is in flight? Thus, what is the acceleration of the ball?

The forces acting on the ball in flight would be gravity?
The acceleration of the ball would be 0?
 
  • #4
future_vet said:
The forces acting on the ball in flight would be gravity?
Correct, and the graviational force is equal at all points during the ball's flight.
The acceleration of the ball would be 0?

Where did this conclusion come from? (Huge hint: what is the acceleration due to gravity?)
 
  • #5
cristo said:
How did you calculate it? I can't check you're right if I can't see what you've done! :smile:

Ah oops, here it is:
2.0 m/s^2 = (90 000 - 60 000 m/h)/t
t= 30 000/2

And... I can't figure out how I got my answer then... Maybe I forgot about the km vs meters...

...
 
  • #6
future_vet said:
Ah oops, here it is:
2.0 m/s^2 = (90 000 - 60 000 m/h)/t

Your units here are incorrect. Your conversion to metres was correct, but on the left you have seconds, and on the right you have hours. You need to convert the expressions on the right to m/s before you can calculate t.
 

1. What is the difference between gravity and acceleration?

Gravity is a force that pulls objects towards each other, while acceleration is the rate at which an object's velocity changes over time.

2. How does gravity affect the acceleration of objects?

Gravity causes objects to accelerate towards the ground at a rate of 9.8 meters per second squared, regardless of their mass.

3. What is the relationship between mass and gravity?

The greater the mass of an object, the greater its gravitational pull on other objects. However, an object's mass does not affect its acceleration due to gravity.

4. How do forces other than gravity affect acceleration?

Other forces, such as friction or air resistance, can also affect an object's acceleration. These forces can either increase or decrease the object's acceleration, depending on their direction and magnitude.

5. Can gravity and acceleration be experienced differently in different locations?

Yes, the strength of gravity and the acceleration due to it can vary depending on an object's location. For example, an object on the moon experiences a weaker gravitational pull and a slower acceleration due to gravity compared to an object on Earth.

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