When Will the Thrown Mass Overtake the Dropped Shot Put in Freefall?

[yakiland]

Heres a question I am really stuck on...

Homework Statement

If Person A drops a shot put weighing 1.5 kg from a height of 60m, and at exactly the same time Person B throws down a 100g mass at a speed of 10 m/s from 70m up, at what time would the mass overtake the shot put?

Homework Equations

mass is irrelevant due to freefall.

to find the total time it takes for each item to reach the ground, i used
x=(v+u/2)*t
AND
v^2=u^2+2ax

acceleration due to gravity=9.8m/s^2

The Attempt at a Solution

I have no idea where to start...

 

[awvvu]

If you write out the x equations for both the A ball and B ball, then you can equate the two and find the time they occupy the same position.

 

[Moetasim]

I would approach this problem by first defining the variables and parameters involved. In this case, we have two objects (shot put and 100g mass), each with their own mass, initial velocity, and starting height. We also have the acceleration due to gravity, which will be the same for both objects.

Next, I would use the equations provided in the problem (x=(v+u/2)*t and v^2=u^2+2ax) to solve for the time it takes for each object to reach the ground. For the shot put, we can use the given starting height of 60m and the fact that it is dropped from rest (u=0) to solve for t. For the 100g mass, we can use the given starting height of 70m, initial velocity of 10 m/s, and acceleration due to gravity to solve for t.

Once we have the time it takes for each object to reach the ground, we can compare them to see which one reaches the ground first. The object that reaches the ground first will be the one that overtakes the other.

In this case, it seems that the 100g mass will reach the ground first, as it is thrown with an initial velocity and therefore will have a shorter time of freefall compared to the shot put which is dropped from rest. However, it is always important to double check our calculations and assumptions to ensure accuracy.

Overall, the key to solving this problem is to carefully define and understand the variables involved, and then use the appropriate equations to solve for the time it takes for each object to reach the ground.