Question

A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a 60 m building and lands 100 m from the base of the building. How long is the ball in the air? What must have been the initial horizontal component of the velocity? What is the vertical component of the velocity just before the ball hits the ground? What is the velocity of the ball just before it hits the ground?

Answer 1

Answer:

The ball is in the air for 3.5 seconds

The initial horizontal component of velocity is 28.6 m/s

The vertical component of the final velocity is 34.3 m/s downward

The final velocity is 44.7 m/s in the direction 50.2° below the horizontal

Explanation:

A ball is thrown horizontally

That means the vertical component of the initial velocity $u_{y}=0$

The initial velocity is the horizontal component $u_{x}$

The ball is thrown from the top of a 60 m

That means the vertical displacement component y = 60 m

→ y = $u_{y}$ t + $\frac{1}{2}$ gt²

where g is the acceleration of gravity and t is the time

y = -60 m , g = -9.8 m/s² , $u_{y}=0$

Substitute these values in the rule

→ -60 = 0 + $\frac{1}{2}$ (-9.8)t²

→ -60 = -4.9t²

Divide both sides by -4.9

→ 12.2449 = t²

Take √ for both sides

∴ t = 3.5 seconds

* The ball is in the air for 3.5 seconds

The initial velocity is the horizontal component $u_{x}$

The ball lands 100 meter from the base of the building

That means the horizontal displacement x = 100 m

→ x = $u_{x}$ t

→ t = 3.5 s , x = 100 m

Substitute these values in the rule

→ 100 = $u_{x}$ (3.5)

Divide both sides by 3.5

→ $u_{x}$ = 28.57 m/s

The initial horizontal component of velocity is 28.6 m/s

The vertical component of the final velocity is $v_{y}$

→ $v_{y}$ = $u_{y}$ + gt

→ $u_{y}$ = 0 , g = -9.8 m/s² , t = 3.5 s

Substitute these values in the rule

→ $v_{y}$ = 0 + (-9.8)(3.5)

→ $v_{y}$ = -34.3 m/s

The vertical component of the final velocity is 34.3 m/s downward

The final velocity v is the resultant vector of  $v_{x}$ and $v_{y}$

→ Its magnetude is $v=\sqrt{(v_{x})^{2}+(v_{y})^{2}}$

→ Its direction $tan^{-1}\frac{v_{y}}{v_{x}}$

→ $v_{y}$ = 28.6 , $v_{y}$ = -34.3

Substitute this values in the rules above

→ $v=\sqrt{(28.6)^{2}+(-34.3)^{2}}=44.66$

→ Its direction $tan^{-1}\frac{-34.3}{28.6}=-50.18$

The negative sign means the direction is below the horizontal

The final velocity is 44.7 m/s in the direction 50.2° below the horizontal