Horizontal Acceleration of a Stone

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a stone thrown horizontally from a height of 25 m, landing 22 m away from the cliff. The focus is on determining the horizontal acceleration of the stone.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the forces acting on the stone after it is thrown, questioning the presence of horizontal and vertical forces. There is uncertainty about the horizontal acceleration and whether it is zero.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring the implications of horizontal and vertical forces. Some guidance has been provided regarding the nature of gravitational acceleration, but no consensus has been reached on the horizontal acceleration.

Contextual Notes

Participants are considering the effects of gravity and potential external forces like wind resistance, while also grappling with the definitions of horizontal and vertical acceleration.

Hannah1
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Homework Statement



A stone is thrown horizontally from a cliff 25 m high and lands on the ground 22 m from the foot of the cliff. What is the horizontal acceleration on the stone?


Homework Equations



a = Δv/Δt = (vfinal - vinitial) / (tfinal - tinitial)


The Attempt at a Solution



? I don't know where to start! Please help!
 
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The key word is "horizontal" acceleration [okay, two words]. Once the stone is tossed, what forces are acting on it? What vertical forces? What horizontal forces?
 
lewando said:
The key word is "horizontal" acceleration [okay, two words]. Once the stone is tossed, what forces are acting on it? What vertical forces? What horizontal forces?

The vertical forces are gravity which has a velocity of 9.8 m/s.
I don't think there are any horizontal forces (if you exclude wind resistance).

So is the horizontal acceleration 0 m/s2?
 
Good.
 
lewando said:
Good.

Thank you for helping me.
How would you recommend finding the vertical acceleration of a problem like this?

Would it just be 9.8 m/s2?
 
That is the magnitude of acceleration due to gravity, near the surface of Earth. It is in the down direction.
 

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