How High Does the Rock Go When Thrown from a Building?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the maximum height a rock reaches when thrown from a 16.3m building at a velocity of 31.6m/s and an angle of 28.1 degrees, while ignoring air resistance. Participants clarify the need to separate the motion into x and y components, using trigonometric functions to find initial velocities. They emphasize that the maximum height calculation should only consider vertical motion, and the correct approach involves using the time it takes for the rock to reach its peak. Additionally, the final velocity just before impact can be determined by recognizing that the downward velocity at the original height will equal the initial upward velocity but with a negative sign. The conversation highlights the importance of applying the correct equations for projectile motion and free fall to solve the problem accurately.
EaGlE
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
A man stands on the roof of a building of height 16.3m and throws a rock with a velocity of magnitude 31.6m/s at an angle of 28.1 degrees above the horizontal. You can ignore air resistance

A.) Calculate the maximum height above the roof reached by the rock. Take free fall acceleration to be 9.80 m/s^2.

ok first i found vectors x and y at 28.1 degrees
cos(28)*31.6 = vector x
sin(28)*31.6 = vector y

x = 27.8752
y= 14.883

using this formula:
x(t) = x(0) + v(0)t + 1/2at^2
x(t) = 16.3 + (31.6m/s)t + 1/2(-9.8)t^2 <--- is that right how i set it up? is a a negative or positive number? and will there be two times? i know I am doing something wrong, i just don't know what...if i solve for t now, there will be two times, which i don't know what to do with it.

B.) Calculate the magnitude of the velocity of the rock just before it strikes the ground. Take free fall acceleration to be 9.80 m/s^2
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Here are some hints:

Remember,
V_{y} = V_{o}\sin(\theta)
V_{x} = V_{o}\cos(\theta)
V_{y} = 0 at max height
V_{x} is constant (this means same value always)

x(t) = 16.3 + (31.6m/s)t + 1/2(9.8)t^2 <--- is that right how i set it up? is a a negative or positive number? and will there be two times? i know I am doing something wrong, i just don't know what...

9.8 must be put -9.8 because is pointing down that acceleration. And also plug in your V_{y} value instead of just the initial V_{o}. Remember Projectile Motion it's just a mix of Free Fall Motion with Constant Velocity Motion. Read the hints!.

-Cyclovenom
 
Last edited:
anyway, i solved for t and got 0,6.4489s

then plugged t in the position formula agian
x(t) = x(0) + v(0)t + 1/2at^2
and got 16.30251507
but the problem only wants the part above the buliding, so i minus 16.3 from it and got .0025 is that correct? (seems incorrect)
 
To find the maximum height, you should only be concerned with motion in the y-direction. Physically, you want to think of how long will it take for gravity to slow down the ball until it stops. Once you find this time, you can plug it in the y analog the equation you have in part a to find the maximum height.

In part b, you want to first calculate the y component of velocity as it hits the ground. When the rock is thrown upward and then comes back down to the initial height (16.3m), you should recognize the velocity in the y-direction (vy) at that point has the same numerical value as the initital vy but is negative since it's heading downward. You can use the following equation to find the final vy:

v_{y}^2 = v_{yo}^2 + 2.0 a_{y}(y-yo)

Now, using vx which doesn't change throughout the motion, you can now solve for the velocity magnitude
 
Ok let me give you a little help.

Y_{max} :
V_{y} = 0
So using this equation:
V = V_{o} + at
0 = V_{y} - gt_{max}
t_{max} = \frac{V_{y}}{g}

Now using this equation:
Y = Y_{o} + V_{o}t + \frac{1}{2}at^2
Y_{max} = Y_{0} + V_{y}t_{max} -\frac{1}{2}gt_{max}^2

Combining Equations:
Y_{max} = Y_{0} + V_{y}\frac{V_{y}}{g} - \frac{1}{2}g(\frac{V_{y}}{g})^2

Y_{max} = Y_{0} + \frac{V_{y}^2}{g} -\frac{1}{2}\frac{V_{y}^2}{g}

-Cyclovenom
 
Last edited:
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 'Calculation of Tensile Forces in Piston-Type Water-Lifting Devices at Elevated Locations'
Figure 1 Overall Structure Diagram Figure 2: Top view of the piston when it is cylindrical A circular opening is created at a height of 5 meters above the water surface. Inside this opening is a sleeve-type piston with a cross-sectional area of 1 square meter. The piston is pulled to the right at a constant speed. The pulling force is(Figure 2): F = ρshg = 1000 × 1 × 5 × 10 = 50,000 N. Figure 3: Modifying the structure to incorporate a fixed internal piston When I modify the piston...
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