Kinetic Energy, Momentum, Projectile Motion ( A real stumper )

In summary: I'm not sure what to do with the 11.6=cos\theta * sin \theta... I can't think of what to do next...In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving a person standing on frictionless ice and throwing a rock with a certain mass and initial speed. The problem asks for the angle at which the rock was thrown and the speed at which the person is moving after the rock is thrown. The conversation discusses various equations and concepts that can be used to solve the problem, including conservation of momentum and kinetic energy, as well as the fact that the distance between the person and the rock is given and can be used to determine the range of the rock. However, there is some confusion about how to incorporate
  • #36
Luke1294 said:
Hm. So, I was looking at that the wrong way for sure. That can definatly be written as [tex]140.238= 288cos\theta sin\theta[/tex], can't it? So, I divide both sides by 144...giving me [tex].973875=2sin\theta cos\theta[/tex], or [tex].973875=sin(2\theta)[/tex]. I then divide the left by 2, take the inverse sin, and arrive at 29 degrees?

Am i error free?! Finally?!

luke, how did you get 14.3 for x? doesn't 14.3 = the momentum of the rock?
 
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  • #37
Luke1294 said:
Hm. So, I was looking at that the wrong way for sure. That can definatly be written as [tex]140.238= 288cos\theta sin\theta[/tex], can't it? So, I divide both sides by 144...giving me [tex].973875=2sin\theta cos\theta[/tex], or [tex].973875=sin(2\theta)[/tex].
Good.
I then divide the left by 2, take the inverse sin, and arrive at 29 degrees?
Take the inverse sine first, then divide by 2 to get the angle theta.
 
  • #38
Doc,

Thank you so much for your help. This problem even stumped our professor- apparently, he was instructing students to use some "likely" values to make the problem much simpler. Once again, thank you for helping me work through it.To the OP-
We're in this class together, pal. Jus' sayin.
 
  • #39
As I'm looking back through this problem, I'm not sure i understand one little part- Why is it that the denomenator is 4.5 +65? I thought I had a handle on it earlier, but it's escaping me.

arildno said:
The distance between you and the rock was given to be 15.2m, that is:
[tex]p_{rock}-p_{you}=15.2\to{p}_{rock}=\frac{65.0}{4.5+65.0}*15.2m[/tex]

[itex]p_{rock}[/itex] is the sought RANGE of the rock.
Did you follow this?
 
  • #40
you can find
[tex]p_{you}[/tex]

by using conservation of momentum. set initial velocities to zero, and solve for
[tex]v_{you}[/tex]

since momentum is constant after the throw (lack of friction, etc), that implies time is constant, so the M/S of the velocity becomes simply meters, and it can be used as a ratio of displacements, or
[tex]p[/tex]

(arildno meant positions, btw) values. then, you know
[tex]p_{rock}-p_{you} = 15.2 m[/tex]

and you can substitute in for
[tex]p_{you}[/tex]

and the rest is just solving for p_rock.

i think it's really interesting that you guys spent more time solving this than me... :) i assume you're solving it for y_o = y_final (the starting height was the same as the landing height)? i still think there's not enough information though (i guess I'm just stubborn), but i am going to set up equations... heh, I'm just a computer science major anyway... physics isn't my strong subject (if that isnt' obvious already)
 
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  • #41
Thanks for the help. Like I said, you and I are in there with good old Mellendorf together...

If you read a ways up, you can see we actually found an angle, and then found the velocity of the man. Problem solved :)
 
  • #42
hey we need something to do.

Actually I was surprised this one went on so long, as it was pretty straightforward by recognizing that the absolute velocity of separation was 3 percent larger than that of the rock alone. I agree tho, that the Yo issue was never resolved. I assumed it was thrown two handed as one might a bowling ball off the ground--after all it was close to 10#. Could have been shot put I suppose if the rock of that mass was small enuf to palm..
 
  • #43
denverdoc: heh... i just don't like holes in my problems, i suppose :)

luke: you wouldn't happen to be one of the guys that sits in the back left corner? :smile:
 
  • #44
No sir, I happen to be upfront next to the deciptively cute blonde girl/ex girlfriend.
 
  • #45
ouch:(

so... would you happen to have been in cook's wednesday afternoon chem 130 lab last semester?
 
  • #46
Yessir, that would also be me.
 
  • #47
xaer04 said:
denverdoc: heh... i just don't like holes in my problems, i suppose :)

luke: you wouldn't happen to be one of the guys that sits in the back left corner? :smile:

Nor do I--so can someone tell me how this 140# guy threw from ice, and at rest, a 3.5 liter object some 50'. Thats 2/3'rds the size of a bowling ball, a distance of 2/3'rds the world shotput record! :-p
J
 
  • #48
lol... got to love physics homework problems:)
 

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