What impact does air resistance have on a ball thrown upward with speed x?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the impact of air resistance on a ball thrown upward with speed x. In the absence of air resistance, the ball returns to the ground at the same speed due to the conservation of energy, transitioning between kinetic and potential energy. However, when air resistance is present, the ball descends at a slower speed and with reduced kinetic energy, as energy is lost to friction with the air. The extent of energy loss is influenced by various factors, including the ball's surface texture, temperature, and humidity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of conservation of energy principles
  • Basic knowledge of kinematics
  • Familiarity with the effects of air resistance on motion
  • Concept of kinetic and potential energy
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the equations of motion under the influence of air resistance
  • Explore the effects of different surface textures on drag force
  • Study the relationship between temperature, humidity, and air density
  • Learn about energy loss calculations in fluid dynamics
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Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of projectile motion and the effects of air resistance on moving objects.

itsme1
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if we throw upward a ball with speed x. What can we say about it when the ball returns in the presence of air resistance? What about in the absence?
 
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itsme1 said:
if we throw upward a ball with speed x. What can we say about it when the ball returns in the presence of air resistance? What about in the absence?

In the absence of air resistance, it's easy - the ball comes back down at the same speed that it went up with. This follows from conservation of energy; the ball started with a certain amount of kinetic energy, traded the kinetic energy for potential energy as it climbed, and then reversed the trade and regained the kinetic energy on the way down.

In the presence of air resistance, the ball will come down at a slower speed and with less kinetic energy than it started with. The missing energy will have gone into friction with the air heating the ball and the air around it; the exact amount of energy lost will depend on many variables (the texture of the surface of the ball, the temperature and humidity, ...) and is generally hard to calculate.
 
That sounds like homework
 

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