Help with free falling, find h with ball displacing .47h in 1 second before fall

  • Thread starter Thread starter mathphysicnb
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Ball Fall Falling
AI Thread Summary
The problem involves a ball dropped from height h, displacing 0.47h meters in the last second before hitting the ground. Using the equation xf - xo = vot + 0.5gt^2, the user derives two equations for the height h based on the ball's displacement. By equating the two expressions for h and solving, they find the time t to be approximately 2.68 seconds. Substituting this value back into the height equation yields h as approximately 66.43 meters. The final confirmation indicates that this calculation is correct.
mathphysicnb
Messages
6
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


A ball is dropped from a height h. The ball displaces 0.47h meters from the time it hits one second before it drops to the ground and when it hits the ground. Find h.


Homework Equations


xf-xo=vot + 0.5gt^2


The Attempt at a Solution


h = ?
t1(at 1 second before ball hits ground) = 1
s(at one second before till it hits ground) = 0.47h

So, this is what it visually looks like:

o (A) t=0, v=0, a=g, h=0
| |
| v
|
|
|
| (B) t=t1, a=g, h=0.53h
|
|
| (C) t=t2, a=g, h=H

So, from A to B, the ball falls 0.53h meters. From A to C, the ball falls H meters. And From B to C, the ball has fallen 0.47h meters in 1 second, which comes from the problem statement. So the ball at B has fallen t seconds. And when the ball reaches C, it has fallen t + 1 seconds.

I need to find h...

So, I use the formula above for A to B and again for A to C:

0.53h = 0.5gt^2 => h= (0.5g/0.53)t^2 (A to B)

h = 0.5g(t+1)^2 (A to C)

I have set both equations equal to h. Now I solve for t by setting said equations equal to each other:

(0.5g/0.53)t^2 = 0.5g(t +1)^2 =>

t^2/0.53 = (t+1)^2 =>

0 = (1-(1/0.53))t^2 + 2t + 1

Using quadratic formula, I get approximately 2.68 seconds.

I plug this back into one of the formulas above to get h:

h = 0.5g(t+1)^2 =~ 66.43 meters.

Is this correct?

I have to enter this online and I literally have one more attempt left before whatever answer I put gets submitted. Please help me and let me know if this is correct.

Thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Your answer is correct.
 
I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'
Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
Back
Top