VISUAL PHYSICS ONLINE

 

FREE FALL VERTICAL MOTION

 

 

 

Image result for images projectile motion

 

 

After you have completed the following questions, assess your answers with the animations displayed at the end of this web page.

 

Think about throwing a ball vertically into the air.

Throw an object up and observe its motion.

 

What physical quantities are important in describing the motion of the ball?

 

A ball is launched vertically from a cannon at an initial speed of 50 m.s-1.

 

       Calculate the time for the ball to reach its maximum height and the time for it to return to its launch height.

       Calculate the displacement of the ball at the instant it reaches the highest point in its trajectory.

       At the balls highest point, it stops momentarily. What is the acceleration of the ball at this instance?

       Calculate the times at which the ball has a displacement of 100 m. What are the velocities at these times?

       Draw three graphs with scaled axes (using your above answers) for the motion of the ball.

       Use your v/t graph to determine the acceleration of the ball.

       Use your v/t graph to determine the maximum height reached by the ball.

 

 

Check your answers using the animation shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The animation was created using the MATLAB mscript spAcc.m

 

MATLAB Scripts can be down loaded from

 

http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/teach_res/mp/mscripts/

 

 

 

VISUAL PHYSICS ONLINE

 

If you have any feedback, comments, suggestions or corrections please email:

Ian Cooper School of Physics University of Sydney

ian.cooper@sydney.edu.au