Projectile motion formulas help

In summary: Diver: In summary, the projectile will reach its maximum height (at 113 sin(30)-gt = 0) after 9.98 seconds of flight, and will travel a horizontal distance of 113 cos(60) t.
  • #1
cowgiljl
63
1
A projectile is fired with an intial speed of 113 m/s at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizonal from the top of a cliff 49.0 m high

a) time to reach the max height
b) max height above the base
c) total time in the air
d) horizonal range of the projectile

I used the formula t^2 = Vo*sin 60/g
t^2 = 113*sin60/9.80 = 9.98 seconds
And after that i am totally lost and can't find any real go examples in the book.

where can i go from here and what formulas can i used Still going over notes and reviewing the book.

I also drew a picture
 
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  • #2
The moral to this story is "don't use formulas if you don't know where the came from".

The acceleration is -g vertically. There is no acceleration horizontally.

Since -g is a constant, in time t, the vertical speed will change by -gt. The horizontal speed will not change.
Since the initial vertical speed was 113 sin(60), that vertical speed at time t will be 113 sin(60)- gt. It will continue going up until that speed is 0: the maximum height will occur when 113 sin(30)- gt= 0 or t= 113 sin(60)/g.

Assuming your "t^2 = 113*sin60/9.80 = 9.98 seconds" was intended to
solve (a) did you really get lost here? I would think that taking the square root of t^2 would be an obvious way to get t!

(b) asked for the maximum height"above the base"
You know the vertical speed is 113 sin(60)- gt. Integrating that gives h(t)= 113 sin(60)t- (1/2)gt^2+ C for the height at time t. When t= 0, h(0)= C. What was the height of the projectile ABOVE THE BASE OF THE CLIFF when it was fired? Since you know, from (a) the time when it was at its highest point, put that value of t into h(t).

(c) asked for "total time in the air". It won't be in the air any more when it hits the ground! Since it was launched away from the cliff, that will be when h(t)= 0. Solve the equation you got in (b) to find t when h(t)= 0.

(d) asked for horizontal range
The initial horizontal speed was 113 cos(60) and there was no acceleration. The horizontal distance moved is 113 cos(60) t.
Put in the t from (c) (when the projectile hit the ground) to find the horizontal distance in that time.
 
  • #3
How about this one:


R= ((Vo^2sin2(angle)))/g

Nautica
 

What is projectile motion?

Projectile motion refers to the motion of an object that is projected into the air and then moves under the influence of gravity alone. Examples of projectiles include a thrown baseball, a kicked soccer ball, or a launched rocket.

What is the formula for projectile motion?

The formula for projectile motion is given by:

x = x0 + v0 * cosθ * t

y = y0 + v0 * sinθ * t - 1/2 * g * t2

where x and y are the horizontal and vertical positions of the object, x0 and y0 are the initial positions, v0 is the initial velocity, θ is the angle of projection, t is time, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

How does air resistance affect projectile motion?

Air resistance, also known as drag, can affect the trajectory of a projectile by slowing it down. This is because as the projectile moves through the air, it encounters air molecules that exert a force in the opposite direction of its motion. This force increases with the speed of the projectile, causing it to slow down and decrease its range.

Can the formula for projectile motion be used for all types of projectiles?

No, the formula for projectile motion is only applicable for ideal projectiles, which means there is no air resistance and the only force acting on the object is gravity. For real-life situations, the formula may need to be modified to account for air resistance or other external forces.

How can projectile motion formulas be applied in real life?

Projectile motion formulas can be applied in various fields such as sports, engineering, and physics. For example, understanding projectile motion can help in predicting the trajectory of a ball in sports like baseball or golf, designing and optimizing the trajectory of a rocket or missile, or analyzing the motion of objects in free fall.

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