Calculating Horizontal and Vertical Speeds of a Baseball

In summary, the baseball has a horizontal speed of 16 m/s and a vertical speed of 19 m/s upward when it is hit. After 1 second, the horizontal speed remains the same and the vertical speed decreases due to the acceleration of gravity. The correct equation for this type of motion is v = u + at, where v is the final speed, u is the initial speed, a is the acceleration, and t is the time. The acceleration in this case is -9.8 m/s^2.
  • #1
Crichar1
7
0
A baseball is hit with a horizontal speed of 16 m/s and a vertical speed of 19 m/s upward. What are these speeds 1 s later?


horizontal speed 16 m/s
vertical speed ? m/s


I figured out that the horizontal speed would still be the same and it was. So i thought that the vertical speed 1 s later would be double that, so 38 m/s but that was incorrect also.
 
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  • #2
This problem assumes no friction, and that is why the horizontal speed is constant.

Think about your answer for the vertical speed. What happens when you throw an object straight into the air? According to your answer, it picks up more and more speed and never comes back down. =) The baseball must continually slow down until it reaches the highest point of its trajectory, where it then stops (the vertical motion stops, not the horizontal motion though), and it then picks up vertical speed as it falls back to the earth. Do you have any equations that describe such motion relative to time?
 
  • #3
Hi Crichar1! :smile:
Crichar1 said:
A baseball is hit with a horizontal speed of 16 m/s and a vertical speed of 19 m/s upward. What are these speeds 1 s later?.

How much is the acceleration (including the units)?

What equation connects acceleration speed and time? :smile:
 

1. What is the formula for calculating the horizontal speed of a baseball?

The formula for calculating the horizontal speed of a baseball is: horizontal speed = distance / time. This means that you divide the distance the baseball travels by the time it takes to travel that distance.

2. How do you calculate the vertical speed of a baseball?

To calculate the vertical speed of a baseball, you can use the formula: vertical speed = initial vertical velocity + (acceleration due to gravity x time). This means that you add the initial vertical velocity to the product of acceleration due to gravity and time.

3. What is the difference between horizontal and vertical speeds of a baseball?

The horizontal speed of a baseball refers to the speed at which it travels in a straight line along the horizontal axis. The vertical speed, on the other hand, refers to the speed at which the baseball moves in a vertical direction, either up or down.

4. Can you calculate the horizontal and vertical speeds of a baseball at the same time?

Yes, you can calculate both the horizontal and vertical speeds of a baseball at the same time. This is because they are independent of each other and do not affect one another's calculations.

5. What units are used to measure the horizontal and vertical speeds of a baseball?

The horizontal and vertical speeds of a baseball are typically measured in units of distance per time, such as meters per second (m/s) or feet per second (ft/s).

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