FREE FALLING BODIES 1
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, student will able to:
Use the kinematic equations with the
variables y and g to analyze free-fall motion
Describe how the values of the position,
velocity, and acceleration change during a
free fall
Solve for the position, velocity, and
acceleration as functions of time when an
object is in a free fall
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Kinematics Equations for Objects in Free F
all
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Assume that accelerations equals – g ( with
positive direction upward)
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Problem – Solving Strategy: Free Fall
1. Decide on the sign of the acceleration of
gravity.
2. Draw a sketch of the problem. This helps
visualize the physics involved
3. Record the knowns and unknowns from the
problem description.
4. Decide which of the equations of free fall are
to be used to solve the unknowns.
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Example Problem 1
From the figure below, shows the positions of a ball, at 1s intervals, with
an initial velocity of 4.9 m/s downward, that is thrown from the top of a
98m high building. (a) How much time elapses before the ball reaches the
ground? (b) What is the velocity when it arrives at the ground?
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Example Problem 1
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SOLUTION v0 = – 4.9 m/s, g = 9.8 m/s2, y0 = 0
(a) Substitute the given values into the equation:
= 0 +(- 4.9)t – ½ (9.8)t2
This simplifies to: t = – 5.0s and t = 4.0s
(b) 4.9 – (9.8)(4) = – 14.1 m/s
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Example Problem 2
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Example Problem 2
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SOLUTION
(a) Using equation:
; v0 = 24.5 m/s
(b) At the maximum height, v = 0:
; y = 30.6m
(c) To find the time when v = 0,
0 = 24.5 – (9.8)t; t = 2.5s
(d) The acceleration is 9.8 m/s2 everywhere
(e) The velocity at t = 5s:
v = 24.5 – (9.8)(5) = –24.5 m/s
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Kinematics Equations from Integral Calculus
A motorboat is traveling at a constant velocity of
5.0 m/s when it starts to decelerate to arrive at
the dock. Its acceleration is a(t) = - ¼t m/s3. (a)
What is the velocity function of the motorboat?
(b) At what time does the velocity reach zero? (c)
What is the position function of the motorboat?
(d) What is the displacement of the motorboat
from the time it begins to decelerate to when the
velocity is zero? (e) Graph the velocity and
position functions.
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Kinematics Equations from Integral Calculus
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SOLUTION
(a) Recall that from function form of
acceleration, a = dv/dt.
when t = 0; C =
thus, is the velocity function of the
motorboat
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Kinematics Equations from Integral Calculus
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SOLUTION
(b) When velocity reach zero, v = 0; then solving
for time t from:
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Kinematics Equations from Integral Calculus
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SOLUTION
(c) Solving for displacement x from velocity
function v = dx/dt:
when t = 0; C = x0,
thus, the function form for displacement:
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Kinematics Equations from Integral Calculus
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SOLUTION
(d) Using the equation from (c), the
displacement at t = 6.3s
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Kinematics Equations from Integral Calculus
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KEY EQUATIONS
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