Finding Horizontal Displacement for Spring Cannon Launch

In summary, a steel ball launched from a spring cannon located 1.2 m above the floor with a speed of Vo at 35.0 degrees above the horizontal has a horizontal displacement of x(Vo). When Vo = 0.100 m/s, x = 0.299 m and when Vo = m/s, x = 0.405 m. When Vo is close to zero but not equal to zero, one term in the answer to part (a) dominates and the function x(Vo) reduces to a simpler form, XH = þVo, where þ is a fraction between 0.1 and 0.9. When Vo is very large, the approximate form of x(Vo) is
  • #1
monac
20
0
A spring cannon is located at the edge of a table that is 1.2 m above the floor. A steel ball is launched from the cannon with speed Vo at 35.0 degrees above the horizontal.
(a) Find the horizontal displacement component of the ball tothe point where it lands on the floor as a function of Vo. We writethis function as x(Vo).
Evaluate x for (b) Vo = 0.100 m/s and for
(c) Vo = m/s.
(d) Assume Vo is close to zero but not equal to zero.Show that one term in the answer to part (a) dominates so that thefunction x(Vo) reduces to a simpler form.
(e) If Vo is ver large,what is the approximate form of x(Vo).

I found the answers to a, b, and c. I am thinking of taking a limit on d but the problem is really complicated ... It's a quadratic and with limit laws I would set it equal to 0, but it says it can't be 0. So i am really confused on how to do d and e.
 
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  • #2
monac said:
A spring cannon is located at the edge of a table that is 1.2 m above the floor. A steel ball is launched from the cannon with speed Vo at 35.0 degrees above the horizontal.
(a) Find the horizontal displacement component of the ball tothe point where it lands on the floor as a function of Vo. We writethis function as x(Vo).
Evaluate x for (b) Vo = 0.100 m/s and for
(c) Vo = m/s.
(d) Assume Vo is close to zero but not equal to zero.Show that one term in the answer to part (a) dominates so that thefunction x(Vo) reduces to a simpler form.
(e) If Vo is ver large,what is the approximate form of x(Vo).

I found the answers to a, b, and c. I am thinking of taking a limit on d but the problem is really complicated ... It's a quadratic and with limit laws I would set it equal to 0, but it says it can't be 0. So i am really confused on how to do d and e.

Why don't you show what you've done so far (to all parts)?

Just a hint, but it'll likely be helpful. Remember the Taylor series (or Binomial theorem) for things like (1+x)-1.
 
  • #3
it's a long process. I ll just type the main parts of the answers.

(a) x = vicos35t
t = (vi sin35 + √vi^2 sin^2 35 + 23.544) / 9.81
so x = vi cos35 ((vi sin35 + √vi^2 sin^2 35 + 23.544) / 9.81)

for b and c i just had to plug in values for vi and get the x so that was easy.

I have not learned Taylor's series yet in my Calculus II class. :(
 
  • #4
monac said:
it's a long process. I ll just type the main parts of the answers.

(a) x = vicos35t
t = (vi sin35 + √vi^2 sin^2 35 + 23.544) / 9.81
so x = vi cos35 ((vi sin35 + √vi^2 sin^2 35 + 23.544) / 9.81)

for b and c i just had to plug in values for vi and get the x so that was easy.

I have not learned Taylor's series yet in my Calculus II class. :(

Sorry, your expression is ambiguous. √vi^2 = vi, isn't it?
 
  • #5
Oh the whole thing is under the square root.
t = (vi sin35 + √(vi^2 sin^2 35 + 23.544)) / 9.81
 
  • #6
monac said:
I found the answers to a, b, and c. I am thinking of taking a limit on d but the problem is really complicated ... It's a quadratic
I don't think you need any more maths for (d). Just inspect the expression you earlier derived for time but now saying that anything involving Vo is insignificant compared with associated other terms.
 
  • #7
So imagine that vi = 0?
 
  • #8
monac said:
So imagine that vi = 0?
For (d), close to 0. (Careful with the notation. The question uses Vo and you seem to have changed it to vi.)
 
  • #9
In the back of the book, the answer for d was x ~ 0.405 m
 
  • #10
monac said:
In the back of the book, the answer for d was x ~ 0.405 m
Regardless of the speed it's launched, providing it's slow it still travels 0.4m horizontally? That's interesting.

My answer for (d) is XH = þVo
where þ is a fraction that I'll leave you to work out for yourself, but it's between 0.1 and 0.9
 
Last edited:

FAQ: Finding Horizontal Displacement for Spring Cannon Launch

1. What is the equation for finding horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch?

The equation for finding horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch is x = v0xt + 1/2at2, where x is the horizontal displacement, v0x is the initial horizontal velocity, t is the time, and a is the acceleration due to gravity.

2. How do you calculate the initial horizontal velocity for a spring cannon launch?

The initial horizontal velocity can be calculated using the equation v0x = v0cos(θ), where v0 is the initial velocity of the spring cannon and θ is the angle at which the cannon is launched.

3. Can the acceleration due to gravity be ignored when calculating horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch?

No, the acceleration due to gravity cannot be ignored when calculating horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch. This is because the horizontal and vertical components of the motion are independent of each other, and the acceleration due to gravity affects the vertical component of the motion.

4. How does the mass of the projectile affect the horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch?

The mass of the projectile does not affect the horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch. This is because the horizontal component of the motion is only affected by the initial horizontal velocity and the time.

5. What are some factors that may affect the accuracy of the calculated horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch?

Some factors that may affect the accuracy of the calculated horizontal displacement for a spring cannon launch include air resistance, wind, uneven ground, and variations in the spring's strength. It is important to conduct the experiment multiple times and take an average to minimize the impact of these factors on the accuracy of the results.

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