You are asked to find the initial velocity of a steel ball from a spring loaded
ID: 2172241 • Letter: Y
Question
You are asked to find the initial velocity of a steel ball from a spring loaded launcher. You place the launcher on the edge of a table 1.0 meter above the floor and launch the projectile several times horizontally. If you find that the average distance the ball travels is 1.1 meters, what is the initial velocity of the ball?To solve a problem like this, use equations for the y-motion to find the time and then the x-motion to find the velocity.
time =
velocity =
You now place the launcher on the floor and shoot a steel ball at an angle of 45
Explanation / Answer
(a)height travelled = 0.5gt^2 = 1m, so t = sqrt(2/9.8) = 0.4517s , so initial velocity = x/t = 1.1/0.4517 = 0.5m/s Ans ______________________________________________________________________________________ (b) range = v^2 x sin(2x45)/g = 4 x 4 x sin(90)/9.8 = 16/9.8 = 1.632m Ans