Time at which a projectile reaches a certain height

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on solving a projectile motion problem involving a baseball hit at a speed of 31.0 m/s and an angle of 36.1 degrees. The key equation used is y = (v0sin(θ))t - 1/2gt², where y represents the height. Participants emphasize the importance of substituting y with 10 meters to derive a quadratic equation, which can be solved using the quadratic formula to find the two times the baseball reaches this height. The discussion highlights the necessity of understanding projectile motion principles and the quadratic formula for effective problem-solving.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of projectile motion principles
  • Familiarity with the quadratic formula
  • Knowledge of trigonometric functions, specifically sine
  • Basic physics concepts including gravitational acceleration (g)
NEXT STEPS
  • Practice solving projectile motion problems using different initial velocities and angles
  • Learn how to derive and solve quadratic equations in physics contexts
  • Explore the effects of air resistance on projectile motion
  • Study the maximum height and range of projectiles in detail
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on kinematics and projectile motion, as well as educators looking for effective teaching strategies for these concepts.

enantiomer1
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Homework Statement


Hey, I think I understand this question but there's one or two parts that are really confusing me, the question is:
A major leaguer hits a baseball so that it leaves the bat at a speed of 31.0 m/s and at an angle of 36.1 degrees above the horizontal. You can ignore air resistance.
At what two times is the baseball at a height of 10.0 m above the point at which it left the bat?



Homework Equations


I realize that the equation I should be using is:
y=(v0sin)*t- 1/2*g*t2


The Attempt at a Solution


so far I've tried various things but I fee like I'm missing something cause I can't figure out how to get t, is there some variabe or function for t that I can substitute in order to get the equation?
 
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You could do it by trial and error - put in various times and see when y = 10.
Graph the whole thing on a calculator and trace until you find points with y = 10.

When you replace y with 10, you will have a quadratic equation which can be solved in various ways - notably the quadratic formula.
 
that's nice and all, but it isn't going to help me on the test
 
find out it's maximum height and the time it reaches it. from there you can add or subract time to find when it's 10m high
 
enantiomer1 said:
that's nice and all, but it isn't going to help me on the test

Im pretty sure what delphi said WILL help you on the test and is the best way to go about the problem.

you were given a y-function and you know that you are looking for a height of 10m. You know the angle, Vo and g. As delphi said, that gives you a quadratic. You solve the quadratic formula for values of t when the ball is 10 meters high. You'll get two values for that...
 

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