How High Will the Ball Bounce on an Inclined Plane?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of a ball bouncing on an inclined plane, specifically examining the height it can reach after the impact and the characteristics of its trajectory. The problem involves concepts from mechanics, particularly the effects of gravitational force and elastic collisions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand the mathematical reasoning behind the vertical speed component after the ball impacts the inclined plane, particularly questioning the use of the cosine function. Other participants discuss the relationship between the angle of incidence and reflection in elastic collisions.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring the mathematical relationships involved in the problem, with some providing confirmations of basic principles regarding angles of incidence and reflection. There is an ongoing inquiry into the specifics of the velocity components post-impact.

Contextual Notes

There appears to be a focus on understanding the implications of the angle of the inclined plane and the initial conditions of the ball's fall, with some assumptions about the nature of the collision being discussed.

Faefnir
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A ball, which can be regarded as pointin all its effects, falls steady , subject only to the weight force, on an inclined plane of an angle α with respect to the horizontal from a height h computed from the impact point. The ball bounces elastically. Get the d height can reach the ball and the falling parabola characteristics after the impactAfter impact vertical speed:

$$ v_{y} = \sqrt{2gh} \cos (2 \alpha) $$Why ## \cos (2 \alpha) ##? There is a mathematical explanation for this? Yes, I know about vectorial speed components, but why exactly this corner?
 
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What's the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection when something bounces elastically off of a surface?
 
angle of incidence = the angle of reflection
 
Faefnir said:
angle of incidence = the angle of reflection
Right! So draw yourself a diagram of the initial and final (pre and post collision) velocity vectors, showing the angle between them. Then find the vertical component of that final velocity.
 
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