Physics: Projectile Motion with different starting and ending heights?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a projectile motion problem where a baseball player throws a ball from a height of 1.5 meters at an angle of 30 degrees and an initial velocity of 20 m/s, aiming to hit a pole 20 meters away that is 1.7 meters tall. Participants are exploring how to analyze the motion when starting and ending at different heights.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to determine the time it takes for the ball to travel horizontally, the height of the ball when it reaches the pole, the final velocity, and the final angle. Some participants suggest using trigonometric relationships and equations of motion to analyze the problem, while others question the assumptions regarding height and the effects of gravity.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, offering various approaches to calculate time, height, and velocities. There is a mix of suggestions regarding the use of projectile motion equations and the need to consider vertical and horizontal components separately. No explicit consensus has been reached, but several lines of reasoning are being explored.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the importance of considering the change in height when calculating the vertical motion and the implications of the ball potentially hitting the ground before reaching the pole. There is also mention of the need to track signs in calculations and the effects of gravity on the vertical motion.

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All the physics problems I have worked with thus far assume stating and ending at the same height. Any help is how to solve this is appreciated :-)

A baseball player throws a ball from height 1.5 meters at an angle of 30 degrees and an initial velocity of 20 m/s. He is trying to hit a pole 20 meters away which is 1.7 m tall. Forget about air drag, etc*how long does it take the ball to travel 20 meters (in the horizontal)
*what is the height of the ball when it reaches the pole?
*what is the final velocity of the ball?
*what is the final angle (assuming the ground is perfectly flat of course)

To find the time does this sound right?: t = (20meters)/(20m/s * cos (30))

This is where I am stuck... I would think height at 20 m is just the y component analyzed at 20 but I'm not sure about that. The final velocity I have not idea on and the final angle would probably be the sum of the x and y components although I don't know how to manipulate the formuli to get that :-( Any help is greatly appreciated :-)
 
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From any source can you find the equation of projectile motion which gives you the relation between x, y and angle of projection theta?
 
sure, do you mean y = (tan angle)x - ((gx^2)/(2(v(initial)cos(angle)^2) ?

x would be the distance to my object (in this case 20m)
I know the angle
I know acceleration due to gravity
The velocity I presume is the initial velocity before you break it into its components?
 
ok, find time taken to travel the 20m horizontaly using trig to find horizontal velocity
speed = distance/time ==> time = distance/speed
i would take 1.5m as being height=0 so the pole top is 0.2m then just add your 1.5 back in at the end, so esentualy your working out the change in height :]
now use trig again to find vertical velocity, you now know time to reach the pole.
use x=ut+(1/2)a(t^2) remember to keep track of your + and - signs
x=dissplacement, u=initial velocity(in this case vertical), a=acceleration, t=time

final velocity, horizontal doesn't change due to no horizontal forces hence obeys Newtons 1st law.
verticaly however use V^2=u^2+2ax
v=final velocity.
use c^2=a^2+b^2 (pythagoras) to combine ur horizontal and vertical components of the velocity.
also use trig with these velocity componetns to find the angle.
this is all true if the ball does reach the stick if the ball hits the floor befor it reaches the stick then your value for t will be incorect, if after working out your t like i stated you also use
v^2+u^2+2ax in the vertical to find the final vertical velocity (remember x is dissplacement not distance so here x would equal 1.5m) then use
v=u+at to find time. if this time is less than the time you calculated horizontaly then the ball won't reach the pole and use v=x/t ==> x=vt horizontal to see how far the ball travelsHope i helped.
 

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