How Do You Calculate the Time and Velocity of a Dropped Object in Physics?

In summary, a man using a hang glider drops his cell phone from an altitude of 30 m while descending at a speed of 8 m/s. The cell phone takes 1.77 seconds to reach the ground and has a velocity of -25.53 m/s just before impact. Negative velocity and acceleration are used due to the descending speed.
  • #1
a.k
20
0

Homework Statement


A man using a hang glider who is descending at a speed of 8 m/s drops his cell phone from an altitude of 30 m.
a. How long does it take the cell phone to reach the ground?
b. What is the velocity of the cell phone just before it hits the ground?

Homework Equations


Vf^2=V0^2+2ay
t=v-v0/a

The Attempt at a Solution


(-8m/s)^2+2(-9.8 m/s)(-30)

I want to make sure I am using negative velocity and accel due to descending speed...
 
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  • #2
64 m/s^2+(-19.6m/s)(-30m)
64+588
vf2=652
sqrt(652)
25.53
Due to descending, it is -25.53 m/s

t=vf-vi/-9.8 m/s^2

=-17.3/-9.8=1.765
t=1.77 seconds
 
  • #3
a.k said:
64 m/s^2+(-19.6m/s)(-30m)
64+588
vf2=652
sqrt(652)
25.53
Due to descending, it is -25.53 m/s

t=vf-vi/-9.8 m/s^2

=-17.3/-9.8=1.765
t=1.77 seconds
those answers look good. You can avoid confusion with the minus sign by assuming down direction as positive, but what you did was fine, although you did have to have the insight that the sq root of 652 was the negative root
 

Related to How Do You Calculate the Time and Velocity of a Dropped Object in Physics?

1. What is the relationship between time and velocity?

The relationship between time and velocity is that they are both measures of motion. Time measures the duration of an event or process, while velocity measures the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. In other words, velocity is the rate at which an object is moving over a certain period of time.

2. How does time affect velocity?

Time can affect velocity in two ways. First, the longer an object is in motion, the greater its velocity will be. This is because velocity is calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken. Second, time can also affect velocity if there is a change in acceleration. This is because velocity is directly proportional to acceleration, meaning that the greater the acceleration, the greater the change in velocity over a given time period.

3. Is velocity affected by the direction of motion?

Yes, velocity is affected by the direction of motion. Velocity is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. This means that two objects moving at the same speed but in different directions will have different velocities. For example, a car traveling north at 60 mph will have a different velocity than a car traveling south at 60 mph.

4. How is time dilation related to velocity?

Time dilation is a phenomenon that occurs when an object is moving at high velocities, close to the speed of light. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, time will appear to pass more slowly for an object in motion than for an object at rest. This means that the faster an object is moving, the slower time will appear to pass for that object from an outside observer's perspective.

5. How can time and velocity be used to calculate distance?

The formula for calculating distance is distance = velocity x time. This means that if you know an object's velocity and how long it has been in motion, you can calculate how far it has traveled. For example, if a car is traveling at 60 mph for 2 hours, the distance it has traveled would be 120 miles (60 mph x 2 hours).

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