Assignment 8

course Phy 121

ZGMdyTzYiމ}assignment #007

007. Acceleration of Gravity

Physics I

09-24-2008

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assignment #007

007. Acceleration of Gravity

Physics I

09-24-2008

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14:20:53

09-24-2008 14:20:53

`q001. We obtain an estimate of the acceleration of gravity by determining the slope of an acceleration vs. ramp slope graph for an object gliding down an incline. Sample data for an object gliding down a 50-cm incline indicate that the object glides down the incline in 5 seconds when the raised end of the incline is .5 cm higher than the lower end; the time required from rest is 3 seconds when the raised end is 1 cm higher than the lower end; and the time from rest is 2 seconds when the raised end is 1.5 cm higher than the lower end. What is the acceleration for each trial?

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14:40:19

We can find the accelerations either using equations or direct reasoning.

To directly reason the acceleration for the five-second case, we note that the average velocity in this case must be 50 cm/(5 seconds) = 10 cm/s.

Since the initial velocity was 0, assuming uniform acceleration we see that the final velocity must be 20 cm/second, since 0 cm/s and 20 cm/s average out to 10 cm/s.

This implies a velocity change of 20 cm/second a time interval of 5 seconds, or a uniform acceleration of 20 cm/s / (5 s) = 4 cm/s^2.

The acceleration in the 3-second case could also be directly reasoned, but instead we will note that in this case we have the initial velocity v0 = 0, the time interval `dt = 3 sec, and the displacement `ds = 50 cm. We can therefore find the acceleration from the equation `ds = v0 `dt + .5 a `dt^2.

Noting first that since v0 = 0 the term v0 `dt must also be 0,we see that in this case the equation reduces to `ds = .5 a `dt^2. We easily solve for the acceleration, obtaining a = 2 `ds / `dt^2.

In this case we have a = 2 * (50 cm) / (3 sec)^2 = 11 cm/s^2 (rounded to nearest cm/s^2). For the 2-second case we can use the same formula, obtaining a = 2 * (50 cm) / (2 sec)^2 = 25 cm/s^2.

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RESPONSE -->

ok

self critique assessment:

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14:40:34

09-24-2008 14:40:34

`q002. What are the ramp slopes associated with these accelerations?

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assignment #008

008. Using the Acceleration of Gravity

Physics I

09-24-2008

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19:21:46

`q001. The accepted value of the acceleration of gravity is approximately 980 cm/s^2 or 9.8 m/s^2. This will be the acceleration, accurate at most places within 1 cm/s^2, of any object which falls freely, that is without the interference of any other force, near the surface of the Earth.

If you were to step off of a table and were to fall 1 meter without hitting anything, you would very nearly approximate a freely falling object. How fast would you be traveling when you reached the ground?

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RESPONSE -->

I would guess that I would be falling at .452 seconds for the 1 meter.

confidence assessment: 1

You need to show how you got this. Your result is close to the correct time of fall, so I suspect that you did something right here, but it isn't clear how you obtained. And note that it doesn't answer the question of how fast the object is moving.

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19:32:03

You would have an initial vertical velocity of 0, and would accelerate at 9.8 m/s^2 in the same direction as your 1 meter vertical displacement.

You would also have a slight horizontal velocity (you don't step off of a table without moving a bit in the horizontal direction, and you would very likely maintain a small horizontal velocity as you fell), but this would have no effect on your vertical motion.

So your vertical velocity is a uniform acceleration with v0 = 0, `ds = 1 meter and a = 9.8 m/s^2. The equation vf^2 = v0^2 + 2 a `ds contains the three known variables and can therefore be used to find the desired final velocity. We obtain

vf = +- `sqrt( v0^2 + 2 a `ds) = +- `sqrt ( 0^2 + 2 * 9.8 m/s^2 * 1 m)= +- `sqrt ( 19.6 m^2 / s^2) = +- 4.4 m/s, approx.

Since the acceleration and displacement were in the direction chosen as positive, we conclude that the final velocity will be in the same direction and we choose the solution vf = +4.4 m/s.

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RESPONSE -->

I think that this makes sense.The equation does apply here because we are given qualities so that we can plug the quantities to solve for the speed of falling.

self critique assessment: 2

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19:57:55

`q002. If you jump vertically upward, leaving the ground with a vertical velocity of 3 m/s, how high will you be at the highest point of your jump?

Note that as soon as you leave the ground, you are under the influence of only the gravitational force. All the forces that you exerted with your legs and other parts of your body to attain the 3 m/s velocity have done their work and are no longer acting on you. All you have to show for it is that 3 m/s velocity. So as soon as you leave the ground, you begin experiencing an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 in the downward direction. Now again, how high will you be at the highest point of your jump?

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RESPONSE -->

the highest point of the jump should be.153 meters.

confidence assessment: 1

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20:15:00

From the instant the leave the ground until the instant you reach your highest point, you have an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 in the downward direction.

Since you are jumping upward, and since we can take our choice of whether upward or downward is the positive direction, we choose the upward direction as positive. You might have chosen the downward direction, and we will see in a moment how you should have proceeded after doing so.

For now, using the upward direction as positive, we see that you have an initial velocity of v0 = + 3 m/s and an acceleration of a = -9.8 m/s^2. In order to use any of the equations of motion, each of which involves four variables, you should have the values of three variables. So far you only have two, v0 and a. {}What other variable might you know? If you think about it, you will notice that when objects tossed in the air reach their highest point they stop for an instant before falling back down. That is precisely what will happen to you.

At the highest point your velocity will be 0. Since the highest point is the last point we are considering, we see that for your motion from the ground to the highest point, vf = 0. Therefore we are modeling a uniform acceleration situation with

v0 = +3 m/s, a = -9.8 m/s^2 and vf = 0.

We wish to find the displacement `ds. Unfortunately none of the equations of uniformly accelerated motion contain the four variables v0, a, vf and `ds.

This situation can be easily reasoned out from an understanding of the basic quantities. We can find the change in velocity to be -3 meters/second; since the acceleration is equal to the change in velocity divided by the time interval we quickly determine that the time interval is equal to the change in velocity divided by the acceleration, which is `dt = -3 m/s / (-9.8 m/s^2) = .3 sec, approx.; then we multiply the .3 second time interval by the 1.5 m/s average velocity to obtain `ds = .45 meters.

However if we wish to use the equations, we can begin with the equation vf = v0 + a `dt and solve to find

`dt = (vf - v0) / a = (0 - 3 m/s) / (-9.8 m/s^2) = .3 sec.

We can then use the equation

`ds = (vf + v0) / 2 * `dt = (3 m/s + 0 m/s) / 2 * .3 sec = .45 m.

This solution closely parallels and is completely equivalent to the direct reasoning process, and shows that and initial velocity of 3 meters/second should carry a jumper to a vertical height of .45 meters, approximately 18 inches. This is a fairly average vertical jump.

If the negative direction had been chosen as positive then we would have a = +9.8 m/s^2, v0 = -3 m/s^2 (v0 is be in the direction opposite the acceleration so if acceleration is positive then initial velocity is negative) and again vf = 0 m/s (0 m/s is the same whether going up or down). The steps of the solution will be the same and the same result will be obtained, except that `ds will be -.45 m--a negative displacement, but where the positive direction is down. That is we move .45 m in the direction opposite to positive, meaning we move .45 meters upward.

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RESPONSE -->

I did not understand the second equation to solve this problem. I get that the `ds equals 5 not .45 m.

self critique assessment: 2

Which specific equation did you not understand? Though you might not understand the entire equation, it is likely that there are things you do understand that any additional explanation I give you need to be based on what you understand. Term by term, what do you understand about the equation?

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20:39:14

09-24-2008 20:39:14

`q003. If you roll a ball along a horizontal table so that it rolls off the edge of the table at a velocity of 3 m/s, the ball will continue traveling in the horizontal direction without changing its velocity appreciably, and at the same time will fall to the floor in the same time as it would had it been simply dropped from the edge of the table.

If the vertical distance from the edge of the table to the floor is .9 meters, then how far will the ball travel in the horizontal direction as it falls?

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20:39:34

09-24-2008 20:39:34

A ball dropped from rest at a height of .9 meters will fall to the ground with a uniform vertical acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 downward. Selecting the downward direction as positive we have

`ds = .9 meters, a = 9.8 m/s^2 and v0 = 0.

Using the equation `ds = v0 `dt + .5 a `dt^2 we see that v0 = 0 simplifies the equation to `ds = .5 a `dt^2, so

`dt = `sqrt( 2 `ds / a) = `sqrt(2 * .9 m / (9.8 m/s^2) ) = .42 sec, approx..

Since the ball rolls off the edge of the table with only a horizontal velocity, its initial vertical velocity is still zero and it still falls to the floor in .42 seconds. Since its horizontal velocity remains at 3 m/s, it travels through a displacement of 3 m/s * .42 sec = 1.26 meters in this time.

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assignment #008

008. Using the Acceleration of Gravity

Physics I

09-24-2008

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20:43:39

`q001. The accepted value of the acceleration of gravity is approximately 980 cm/s^2 or 9.8 m/s^2. This will be the acceleration, accurate at most places within 1 cm/s^2, of any object which falls freely, that is without the interference of any other force, near the surface of the Earth.

If you were to step off of a table and were to fall 1 meter without hitting anything, you would very nearly approximate a freely falling object. How fast would you be traveling when you reached the ground?

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RESPONSE -->

In this case, we would approximate the equation with what we have. Here we have the initial velocity, the acceleration and the change in position. so the final velocity is what we are looking for here. The initial velocity is 0, acceleration is 9.8 m/s^2, and the change is 1 meter. We use the formula of vf^2= v0^2 +2a `ds. we are traveling at a positive number of 4.4 seconds.

confidence assessment: 1

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20:45:14

You would have an initial vertical velocity of 0, and would accelerate at 9.8 m/s^2 in the same direction as your 1 meter vertical displacement.

You would also have a slight horizontal velocity (you don't step off of a table without moving a bit in the horizontal direction, and you would very likely maintain a small horizontal velocity as you fell), but this would have no effect on your vertical motion.

So your vertical velocity is a uniform acceleration with v0 = 0, `ds = 1 meter and a = 9.8 m/s^2. The equation vf^2 = v0^2 + 2 a `ds contains the three known variables and can therefore be used to find the desired final velocity. We obtain

vf = +- `sqrt( v0^2 + 2 a `ds) = +- `sqrt ( 0^2 + 2 * 9.8 m/s^2 * 1 m)= +- `sqrt ( 19.6 m^2 / s^2) = +- 4.4 m/s, approx.

Since the acceleration and displacement were in the direction chosen as positive, we conclude that the final velocity will be in the same direction and we choose the solution vf = +4.4 m/s.

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RESPONSE -->

I would guess that if I am falling down the final velocity would be positive rather than negative. Also, if I was jumping up in this case, the final velocity would be a negative?

self critique assessment: 2

Very good question. If you consider downward to be the positive direction, you are exactly correct.

It is completely valid to choose downward as the positive direction, and since that is the direction of motion and the direction of acceleration is probably the better choice for this situation.

It would also have been fine to choose upward as the positive direction, in which case the acceleration and displacement would have both been negative. With this choice, in a case where you were jumping upward, the displacement from the floor to the highest point would be positive, the acceleration would be negative and your initial velocity would be positive.

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20:48:04

`q002. If you jump vertically upward, leaving the ground with a vertical velocity of 3 m/s, how high will you be at the highest point of your jump?

Note that as soon as you leave the ground, you are under the influence of only the gravitational force. All the forces that you exerted with your legs and other parts of your body to attain the 3 m/s velocity have done their work and are no longer acting on you. All you have to show for it is that 3 m/s velocity. So as soon as you leave the ground, you begin experiencing an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 in the downward direction. Now again, how high will you be at the highest point of your jump?

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RESPONSE -->

In this case, we have three quantities here also. The initial velocity the final velocity and the acceleration. Based on this we would need oto find the change in position which is how high the jump is. I am guessing that through an elimination equation of velocity that the change of high point for the jump is 5 meters.

You need to specify the details. In this case

you need to state which direction you are using for the positive,

identify the quantities you know within the scheme v0, vf, `ds, `dt and a,

then specify which definitions and/or equations applied to the situation.

Then you need to show the steps of your arithmetic and your algebra.

confidence assessment: 1

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20:48:55

From the instant the leave the ground until the instant you reach your highest point, you have an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 in the downward direction.

Since you are jumping upward, and since we can take our choice of whether upward or downward is the positive direction, we choose the upward direction as positive. You might have chosen the downward direction, and we will see in a moment how you should have proceeded after doing so.

For now, using the upward direction as positive, we see that you have an initial velocity of v0 = + 3 m/s and an acceleration of a = -9.8 m/s^2. In order to use any of the equations of motion, each of which involves four variables, you should have the values of three variables. So far you only have two, v0 and a. {}What other variable might you know? If you think about it, you will notice that when objects tossed in the air reach their highest point they stop for an instant before falling back down. That is precisely what will happen to you.

At the highest point your velocity will be 0. Since the highest point is the last point we are considering, we see that for your motion from the ground to the highest point, vf = 0. Therefore we are modeling a uniform acceleration situation with

v0 = +3 m/s, a = -9.8 m/s^2 and vf = 0.

We wish to find the displacement `ds. Unfortunately none of the equations of uniformly accelerated motion contain the four variables v0, a, vf and `ds.

This situation can be easily reasoned out from an understanding of the basic quantities. We can find the change in velocity to be -3 meters/second; since the acceleration is equal to the change in velocity divided by the time interval we quickly determine that the time interval is equal to the change in velocity divided by the acceleration, which is `dt = -3 m/s / (-9.8 m/s^2) = .3 sec, approx.; then we multiply the .3 second time interval by the 1.5 m/s average velocity to obtain `ds = .45 meters.

However if we wish to use the equations, we can begin with the equation vf = v0 + a `dt and solve to find

`dt = (vf - v0) / a = (0 - 3 m/s) / (-9.8 m/s^2) = .3 sec.

We can then use the equation

`ds = (vf + v0) / 2 * `dt = (3 m/s + 0 m/s) / 2 * .3 sec = .45 m.

This solution closely parallels and is completely equivalent to the direct reasoning process, and shows that and initial velocity of 3 meters/second should carry a jumper to a vertical height of .45 meters, approximately 18 inches. This is a fairly average vertical jump.

If the negative direction had been chosen as positive then we would have a = +9.8 m/s^2, v0 = -3 m/s^2 (v0 is be in the direction opposite the acceleration so if acceleration is positive then initial velocity is negative) and again vf = 0 m/s (0 m/s is the same whether going up or down). The steps of the solution will be the same and the same result will be obtained, except that `ds will be -.45 m--a negative displacement, but where the positive direction is down. That is we move .45 m in the direction opposite to positive, meaning we move .45 meters upward.

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RESPONSE -->

I don't understand how the .45 meters were reached but I get the jest of the equations here.

self critique assessment: 2

The .45 m height was obtained by using the first equation with v0, vf and `dt; this equation is equivalent to finding the average velocity and multiplying by the time interval.

In a self-critique you need to address the given solution in as much detail as possible.

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20:49:09

09-24-2008 20:49:09

`q003. If you roll a ball along a horizontal table so that it rolls off the edge of the table at a velocity of 3 m/s, the ball will continue traveling in the horizontal direction without changing its velocity appreciably, and at the same time will fall to the floor in the same time as it would had it been simply dropped from the edge of the table.

If the vertical distance from the edge of the table to the floor is .9 meters, then how far will the ball travel in the horizontal direction as it falls?

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NOTES ------->

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20:49:13

09-24-2008 20:49:13

A ball dropped from rest at a height of .9 meters will fall to the ground with a uniform vertical acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 downward. Selecting the downward direction as positive we have

`ds = .9 meters, a = 9.8 m/s^2 and v0 = 0.

Using the equation `ds = v0 `dt + .5 a `dt^2 we see that v0 = 0 simplifies the equation to `ds = .5 a `dt^2, so

`dt = `sqrt( 2 `ds / a) = `sqrt(2 * .9 m / (9.8 m/s^2) ) = .42 sec, approx..

Since the ball rolls off the edge of the table with only a horizontal velocity, its initial vertical velocity is still zero and it still falls to the floor in .42 seconds. Since its horizontal velocity remains at 3 m/s, it travels through a displacement of 3 m/s * .42 sec = 1.26 meters in this time.

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You are making progress, and you have expressed some good insights. However you still need to address all the details in both your solutions and in your self-critiques.