Rock dropped and thrown down from roof hitting simultaneously

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 2K views
Jrohazn
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I'm taking physics for the first time, and I've been attempting the textbook problems, but I can't seem to get it.

1. West stands on the roof of a building, leans over the edge and drops a rock. Lindsay waits 1.25 s after West releases his rock and throws her own rock straight down at 28.0 m/s. Both rocks hit the ground simultaneously. Calculate the common height from which the rocks were released.
2. y=y0+vo(t)-1/2(g)t^2
I'm honestly not even sure how to do it. For Wes: 0=y0-1/2(g)t^2; y0=1/2gt^2
I'm confused on how to set up Lindsay's equation. I checked other people's answers on chegg, and they seem to set up vo as a positive vector, but I thought that since she's throwing down, that it would be negative? Can someone clear that up for me? And for time, would it be (1.25+t)?

Please help :(
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I suggest you do not look at other people's answers and try to solve it yourself by thinking instead.

How would you set up the equation that determines how long it takes for Lindsay's rock to hit the ground?