How to calculate rebound speed of ball hitting a wall?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a ball of mass 0.075 kg traveling horizontally at a speed of 2.20 m/s, which strikes a vertical wall and rebounds. The scenario specifies that 20% of the ball's initial kinetic energy is dissipated during the collision, and the goal is to determine the rebound speed of the ball.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss using conservation of energy to relate initial and final kinetic energies, with some questioning the interpretation of the energy loss and its effect on the final speed.

Discussion Status

There is an ongoing exploration of the relationship between the initial kinetic energy and the energy remaining after the collision. Some participants are attempting to clarify the misunderstanding regarding the percentage of energy lost and how it affects the calculation of the rebound speed.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that 20% of the initial kinetic energy is dissipated, leading to confusion about how to calculate the remaining energy and the resulting speed. There is an acknowledgment of a basic misunderstanding regarding the energy calculations involved.

MattDutra123
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Homework Statement


A ball of mass 0.075 is traveling horizontally with a speed of 2.20 m/s. It strikes a vertical wall and rebounds horizontally. Due to the collision with the wall, 20% of the ball's initial kinetic energy is dissipated.
Show that the ball rebounds from the wall with a speed of 1.97 m/s.

Homework Equations


Impulse = F*t
Kinetic Energy = 1/2mv2

The Attempt at a Solution


I attempted to use conservation of energy by having the initial kinetic energy (0.075*2.202) be equal to 20% final kinetic energy (0.075*v2*1/5) This gave me a result of 2.2 m/s. I don't know how to reach the desired result of 1.97 m/s.
Apologies in advance for bad formatting.
 
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MattDutra123 said:
20% of the ball's initial kinetic energy is dissipated.
That means 20% was lost.
MattDutra123 said:
the initial kinetic energy (0.075*2.202) be equal to 20% final kinetic energy
That would be the ball gaining energy, ending with five times what it had to start with.
 
Last edited:
haruspex said:
That means 20% was lost.

That would be the ball gaining energy, ending with five times what it hard to start with.
So if I divide the right hand side by 1/5 as opposed to multiplying it as I did, would my approach work?
 
MattDutra123 said:
So if I divide the right hand side by 1/5 as opposed to multiplying it as I did, would my approach work?

No, because the final energy is not 1/5 of the initial energy.

20% of the ball's initial kinetic energy is dissipated.

It lost 20% of its energy. That means 80% is left. The final energy is 80% of the original energy.
 
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RPinPA said:
No, because the final energy is not 1/5 of the initial energy.

20% of the ball's initial kinetic energy is dissipated.

It lost 20% of its energy. That means 80% is left. The final energy is 80% of the original energy.
Thank you. Very basic misunderstanding.
 

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