Momentum and impulse of a volleyball

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the average force exerted on a volleyball during a hit, involving concepts of momentum and impulse. The problem includes a volleyball's mass, initial and final velocities, and the contact time during the hit.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the appropriate equations for momentum and force, questioning the correct order of velocities and whether to consider direction. There is uncertainty about the calculations and the application of the formulas.

Discussion Status

Several participants have offered guidance on the correct approach to calculating the change in momentum, discussing the signs of the velocities and the formula to use. There is an ongoing exploration of the correct values to substitute into the equations, with no explicit consensus reached yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants express confusion regarding the signs of the velocities and the order in which to apply them in the momentum equation. The discussion reflects a collaborative effort to clarify these assumptions without providing a definitive solution.

*intheclouds*
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OK I have 1 more question for today...

Homework Statement



A 0.45kg volleyball travels witha horizontal velocity of 3.2m/s over the net. You jump up an hit the ball back witha horizontal velocity 7 m/s. If the contact time is 0.047s, what is the average force on the ball?

Homework Equations




Here are all the equations that were in our notes for this section.
p (momentum) There was triangle P and triange t in my notes, so I wrote "change in"

p=mv
f=ma
f*"change in"t="change in"p
f*"change in"t=mvf-mvi
"change in" P=mvf-mvi

The Attempt at a Solution


Again, I wasnt really sure what equation to use...

[(.45kg)(-3.8m/s)-(.45kg)(3.2m/s)]/(.047s)

I got -67.0, but it wasn't right...

Please help...=]
 
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*intheclouds* said:
OK I have 1 more question for today...

Homework Statement



A 0.45kg volleyball travels witha horizontal velocity of 3.2m/s over the net. You jump up an hit the ball back witha horizontal velocity 7 m/s. If the contact time is 0.047s, what is the average force on the ball?

Homework Equations




Here are all the equations that were in our notes for this section.
p (momentum) There was triangle P and triange t in my notes, so I wrote "change in"

p=mv
f=ma
f*"change in"t="change in"p
f*"change in"t=mvf-mvi
"change in" P=mvf-mvi

The Attempt at a Solution


Again, I wasnt really sure what equation to use...

[(.45kg)(-3.8m/s)-(.45kg)(3.2m/s)]/(.047s)

I got -67.0, but it wasn't right...

Please help...=]

[tex]\textbf{f}=\Delta \textbf{p}/\Delta t[/tex].
 
Ok the change in p would be...
(.45kg)(3.2m/s)-(.45kg)(7m/s)?
Im not really sure if i could just use the numbers from the problem or if i had to change the velocities or if they were in the correct order...
 
*intheclouds* said:
Ok the change in p would be...
(.45kg)(3.2m/s)-(.45kg)(7m/s)?
Im not really sure if i could just use the numbers from the problem or if i had to change the velocities or if they were in the correct order...

[tex]\Delta \textbf{p} = m(\textbf{v}_f-\textbf{v}_i)/t[/tex], where the final velocity is 7 m/s in the negative direction and the initial velocity is 3.2 m/s in the positive direction.
 
so it would be:
.45kg(-7+3.2)/.047??
 
*intheclouds* said:
so it would be:
.45kg(-7+3.2)/.047??

Close.

The final velocity is -7, the initial velocity is 3.2. But, the change in momentum is given by the change in velocity. Id est, final minus initial.
 
Oh, so:
.45kg(3.2-7)/.047??
 
*intheclouds* said:
Oh, so:
.45kg(3.2-7)/.047??

Final, -7, minus initial, +3.2, =>

0.45kg (-7m/s - +3.2m/s)/0.047s =

0.45kg (-10.2m/s) / 0.047s =...
 
Wow. Thank you again. You are amazing...=]
 
  • #10
*intheclouds* said:
Wow. Thank you again. You are amazing...=]

No big deal.
 

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