Prove that an object, if thrown up under gravity

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In summary, the conversation discusses how to prove that an object thrown under gravitational force will take the same time to reach its apex as it takes to fall back to its original position, ignoring air resistance. The suggested method involves finding the standard formula for the object's height at any time, observing that the time to reach the highest point is half the time to fall back, and using the fact that the laws of mechanics are invariant under time reversal to prove the proposition.
  • #1
mahela007
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Can you show me how to prove that an object, if thrown up under gravitational force, will take the same time to reach the apex of it's trajectory as it takes to fall back to it's original position? (ignore air resistance)
 
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  • #2
You are then assuming constant acceleration. You should be able to write down the standard formula for the height of the object at any time t, for any initial speed v0. Find the time until it reaches its highest point and the time until it comes back to the original height. Observe that the first time is exactly half the second time.
 
  • #3
mahela007 said:
Can you show me how to prove that an object, if thrown up under gravitational force, will take the same time to reach the apex of it's trajectory as it takes to fall back to it's original position? (ignore air resistance)

well its easy
For parabolic path
because the time to rise and fall is affected by gravity (and gravity affects upon vertical velocity)
Break the velocity u into ucosx and usinx (x is angle)
here is vertical velocity is usinx
since it is affected by gravity its value decreses in maximum height that is V=o
and a = -g
that is thime to rise T1= o-usinx/ -g = usinx/g
and similarly after reaching the highest point than the gravity favours downward velocity and now velocity goes to increase and becomes maximum at the hitting the ground
At u=o and v= usinx
a=g
T2 = usinx-o/g
=usinx/g T1=T2
hence proved
 
  • #4
If we consider forces F(x) that depend only on position x, then Newton's law takes the form:

x'' = F(x)

This equation is invariant under time reversal t -> -t since by the chain rule on the LHS we have minus time minus is plus, and the RHS is manifestly invariant. Therefore under these conditions the laws of mechanics are invariant under time reversal, from which the proposition stated by the OP follows as a corollary.
 

FAQ: Prove that an object, if thrown up under gravity

1. What is the equation for calculating the height of an object thrown up under gravity?

The equation for calculating the height of an object thrown up under gravity is h = v0t - 1/2gt2, where h is the height, v0 is the initial velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), and t is the time.

2. How does the mass of an object affect its trajectory when thrown up under gravity?

The mass of an object does not affect its trajectory when thrown up under gravity. All objects, regardless of their mass, will follow the same path and reach the same maximum height when thrown up under gravity.

3. Can an object thrown up under gravity reach an infinite height?

No, an object thrown up under gravity cannot reach an infinite height. As the object travels upwards, it will experience a downward acceleration due to gravity, eventually causing it to slow down and fall back to the ground.

4. How does air resistance affect the motion of an object thrown up under gravity?

Air resistance can affect the motion of an object thrown up under gravity. As the object moves upwards, it will experience air resistance, which can slow it down and reduce its maximum height. However, in most cases, the effects of air resistance are negligible and can be ignored.

5. Can the initial velocity of an object thrown up under gravity be greater than the escape velocity of Earth?

No, the initial velocity of an object thrown up under gravity cannot be greater than the escape velocity of Earth (11.2 km/s). If the object's initial velocity is greater than the escape velocity, it will escape Earth's gravitational pull and continue moving away from the planet.

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