Determining When and Where Water Balloons Meet

[tiffanyg]

tow students are randomly attacking each other with water balloons. one student is on the roof and the other is on the ground below.

the student on the roof throws a water balloon straight down with an initial speed of 5.2m/s and the student below throws his up at a rate of 7.1m/s. if the height of the building is 10m,

determine where and when the two balloons meet??

[i don't knooow!]

 

[logickills]

Ok so this is kind of like projectile motion only in one dimension. When working with problems like this it is important to draw a diagram. It also makes it easier if you solve for one balloon at a time.

 

[tiffanyg]

i drew the diagram...but i don't know how to start to solve, if you help me to get started i can do the rest

 

[logickills]

Well how do you think you would start it? You don't have to use equations or anything. Try to tell me in words what you would have to do.

 

[tiffanyg]

ok so.

 

[tiffanyg]

i started to solve the problem by naming the unknows and what data is given. and i called the boy on the roof B1 and the other boy B2

i also have acceleration= 9.8 m/s2

 

[lanedance]

ok so...

- deal with each balloon individually first
- write down the forces and initial velocity at time t=0 on each baloon
- use these to find the velocity & positon at time t of each baloon

from there you'll need to equate the positions and solve for the time t when they collide