Height when a ball is thrown vertically at half its velocity

In summary: So your answer isn't right.In summary, the question is asking at what height above the ground does the velocity of a ball thrown vertically drop back to half of its initial velocity, and the correct approach to solving this is to calculate the distance from the ground, not from the point where the velocity is 0. The answer is 0.75 of the original height.
  • #1
Ace.
52
0
[itex][/itex]

Homework Statement


A baseball is thrown vertically into the air with a velocity, v, and reaches a maximum height, h. At what height was the baseball with one-half its original velocity? Assume no air resistance.


Homework Equations


v22 = v12 + 2ad ?



The Attempt at a Solution


let 10m/s be the original velocity
d = [itex]\frac{v^{2}_{2} - v^{1}_{2}}{2g}[/itex]
d = [itex]\frac{0 m/s - (10 m/s)^{2}}{2(-9.8 m/s^{2}}[/itex]
d = 5.1

at 5 m/s:


d = [itex]\frac{0 m/s - (5 m/s)^{2}}{2(-9.8 m/s^{2}}[/itex]
d = 1.28

[itex]\frac{1.28}{5.1}[/itex] = 0.25

but the answer is 0.75 of the original height. How to solve this?
 
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  • #2
Ace. said:
[itex][/itex]

Homework Statement


A baseball is thrown vertically into the air with a velocity, v, and reaches a maximum height, h. At what height was the baseball with one-half its original velocity? Assume no air resistance.


Homework Equations


v22 = v12 + 2ad ?



The Attempt at a Solution


let 10m/s be the original velocity
d = [itex]\frac{v^{2}_{2} - v^{1}_{2}}{2g}[/itex]
d = [itex]\frac{0 m/s - (10 m/s)^{2}}{2(-9.8 m/s^{2}}[/itex]
d = 5.1

at 5 m/s:


d = [itex]\frac{0 m/s - (5 m/s)^{2}}{2(-9.8 m/s^{2}}[/itex]
d = 1.28

[itex]\frac{1.28}{5.1}[/itex] = 0.25

but the answer is 0.75 of the original height. How to solve this?

The d you are calculating is the distance between the point where the velocity v=0 and the point where the velocity is v/2. The point where v=0 is at the TOP of your trajectory.
 
  • #3
I didn't fully understand what you mean
 
  • #4
Ace. said:
I didn't fully understand what you mean
Ace, in the second part are not using the correct reference level.

The question you should be answering is: if a ball is thrown vertically upwards, at what height above the ground has its velocity dropped back to half of what it initially had?
 
Last edited:
  • #5
Ace. said:
I didn't fully understand what you mean

You are calculating distances from the point where v=0. So the second distance you calculated isn't the distance from the ground. It's distance from the point where v=0. v=0 is at the top of the trajectory.
 

Related to Height when a ball is thrown vertically at half its velocity

1. What is the formula for calculating the height of a vertically thrown ball at half its velocity?

The formula for calculating the height of a vertically thrown ball at half its velocity is h = (v^2 * sin^2θ) / (2g), where h is the height, v is the initial velocity, θ is the angle of launch, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

2. How does the height of a ball thrown vertically at half its velocity compare to the height of a ball thrown vertically at its full velocity?

The height of a ball thrown vertically at half its velocity will be four times less than the height of a ball thrown vertically at its full velocity. This is because the height is proportional to the square of the initial velocity.

3. Is the height of the ball affected by air resistance when thrown vertically at half its velocity?

Yes, the height of the ball will be slightly affected by air resistance. However, at half its velocity, the air resistance will have a smaller impact compared to when the ball is thrown at its full velocity.

4. How does the angle of launch affect the height of a ball thrown vertically at half its velocity?

The angle of launch does not have a significant effect on the height of a ball thrown vertically at half its velocity. As long as the angle is not 90 degrees, the height will be calculated using the same formula.

5. Can the height of a ball thrown vertically at half its velocity be negative?

Yes, the height of a ball can be negative when thrown vertically at half its velocity. This indicates that the ball has reached its maximum height and is now falling back towards the ground.

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