Question

A small rock is thrown straight up with initial speed v0 from the edge of the roof of a building with height H. The rock travels upward and then downward to the ground at the base of the building. Let +y be upward, and neglect air resistance.For the rock's motion from the roof to the ground, what is the vertical component vav−yvav−y of its average velocity?
Express your answer in terms of acceleration due to gravity ggg, and the variables v0v0v_{0} and HHH.

Answer 1

Answer:

$v_{avg}=\dfrac{3gH+v_0^2}{v_0+\sqrt{v_0^2+2gH} }$

Explanation:

The average velocity is total displacement divided by time:

$v_{avg} =\dfrac{D_{tot}}{t}$

And in the case of vertical $v_{avg}$

$v_{avg}=\dfrac{y_{tot}}{t}$

where $y_{tot}$ is the total vertical displacement of the rock.

The vertical displacement of the rock when it is thrown straight up from height $H$ with initial velocity $v_0$ is given by:

$y=H+v_0t-\dfrac{1}{2} gt^2$

The time it takes for the rock to reach maximum height is when $y'(t)=0$, and it is

$t=\frac{v_0}{g}$

The vertical distance it would have traveled in that time is

$y=H+v_0(\dfrac{v_0}{g} )-\dfrac{1}{2} g(\dfrac{v_0}{g} )^2$

$y_{max}=\dfrac{2gH+v_0^2}{2g}$

This is the maximum height the rock reaches, and after it has reached this height the rock the starts moving downwards and eventually reaches the ground. The distance it would have traveled then would be:

$y_{down}=\dfrac{2gH+v_0^2}{2g}+H$

Therefore, the total displacement throughout the rock's journey is

$y_{tot}=y_{max}+y_{down}$

$y_{tot} =\dfrac{2gH+v_0^2}{2g}+\dfrac{2gH+v_0^2}{2g}+H$

$\boxed{y_{tot} =\dfrac{2gH+v_0^2}{g}+H}$

Now wee need to figure out the time of the journey.

We already know that the rock reaches the maximum height at

$t=\dfrac{v_0}{g},$

and it should take the rock the same amount of time to return to the roof, and it takes another $t_0$ to go from the roof of the building to the ground; therefore,

$t_{tot}=2\dfrac{v_0}{g}+t_0$

where $t_0$ is the time it takes the rock to go from the roof of the building to the ground, and it is given by

$H=v_0t_0+\dfrac{1}{2}gt_0^2$

we solve for $t_0$ using the quadratic formula and take the positive value to get:

$t_0=\dfrac{-v_0+\sqrt{v_0^2+2gH} }{g}$

Therefore the total time is

$t_{tot}= 2\dfrac{v_0}{g}+\dfrac{-v_0+\sqrt{v_0^2+2gH} }{g}$

$\boxed{t_{tot}= \dfrac{v_0+\sqrt{v_0^2+2gH} }{g}}$

Now the average velocity is

$v_{avg}=\dfrac{y_{tot}}{t}$

$v_{avg}=\dfrac{\frac{2gH+v_0^2}{g}+H }{\frac{v_0+\sqrt{v_0^2+2gH} }{g} }$

$\boxed{v_{avg}=\dfrac{3gH+v_0^2}{v_0+\sqrt{v_0^2+2gH} } }$