Question #b8b35

1 Answer
Feb 19, 2017

Because the vertical velocity is constantly changing under the influence of gravity and we are not initially sure where the trajectory peaks, the most efficient way to find the initial velocity in this question is to start from the horizontal velocity.

Explanation:

The issue is that the vertical velocity changes (the horizontal velocity stays constant). By the time the ball reaches the wall, the initial vertical velocity has decreased quite a bit. It may also have gone to zero (if the ball is at the peak of its trajectory) or changed direction (if it has started to move downward after passing the peak.) If you try to use this value to find the initial velocity, it will not yield the correct answer.

You've done the question correctly by using the horizontal velocity to find the initial velocity. You can then use that to find the vertical velocity.

What you can't do is simply divide the 7.2 m height of the roof by the 2.1 s and then use that to calculate the initial vertical velocity using the sin.

Let's work out the initial vertical velocity, v_(y1)vy1 from your calculated initial velocity of 2.0 \times 10^12.0×101 at 53^o53o to the horizontal:

v_(y1) = v sin \theta = 20 \times sin 53^o = 15.97vy1=vsinθ=20×sin53o=15.97 ms^-1ms1

Given the precision to which we were given the data, this should be written as v_(y1) = 16vy1=16 ms^-1ms1 or v_(y1) = 1.6 \times 10^1vy1=1.6×101 ms^-1ms1

Now we can use this to calculate the maximum height to which the ball flew. For the top of the trajectory v_y = 0vy=0:

v^2 = u^2 + 2asv2=u2+2as

v_(y)^2 = v_(y1)^2 +2asv2y=v2y1+2as

0 = 16^2 + 2(-9.8)s0=162+2(9.8)s

Rearranging, s = 13.06s=13.06 mm

That's significantly higher than the 7.27.2 mm of the wall.

Now let's find out when it reaches that height: before or after crossing the wall.

v = u + atv=u+at

v_(y) = v_(y1)^2 + atvy=v2y1+at

0 = 16 + (-9.8)t0=16+(9.8)t

Rearranging, t = 1.63t=1.63 ss.

This is less than the 2.12.1 ss it takes to travel from the point of the kick to the wall, so the ball rises higher than the wall.

I hope this helps to answer your question: the ball does not simply move from 00 mm to 7.27.2 mm in a straight line in the 2.12.1 ss. Rather, in the vertical direction it rises to 13.0613.06 mm high then falls back to 7.27.2 mm.

Side note: It's better to write 2.0 \times 10^12.0×101 than just 2.0 \times 102.0×10 - more correct scientific notation.