Motion in One Dimension II

‘Free Falling Objects’

Level : AP Teacher : Kim

Speed vs Velocity
Speed only indicates how fast an object is moving and does not reveal anything about direction
Velocity describes how fast an object is moving and the direction of its motion

Ex) A ball is moving to the right, hits a wall and bounces back in the opposite direction of 5m/s.
Its speed at that instant is expressed just as v=5m/s. The velocity is expressed as v= -5i m/s or
v=5m/s(left)

Determining the Signs(‘+’, ‘-’) for Velocity and Acceleration

i) When objects are moving to the right
— + v>0
if v > vo, then a 0
if v < vo, then a 0

ii) When objects are moving to the left

— + v<0
if v > vo, then a 0
if v < vo, then a 0

* The sign of velocity & acceleration is not determined by an object’s position but determined by which direction it
is moving towards to

Free-falling Motion
Case-1) Dropped from a certain height
+
v<0
─ v > vo, and a < 0 ; always

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- For free-falling motion, the acceleration due to gravity is always downward
- The symbol used for gravitational acceleration is g
- The sign for ‘g’ is always negative
- The value of ‘g’ is always 9.8m/s2

- The three formulas used for free-falling motion can be modified by ay= -g, where g=9.8m/s2.
(also, x→y for height=vertical distance)

v = vo + at v = vo - gt -------------------------- (1)
x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 y - yo = vot - (½)gt2 -------------------- (2)
2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2 -2g(y - yo)= v2 – vo2 -------------------- (3)

1. An object is dropped from a certain height. If it takes 3 seconds to hit the ground, how high
was the object dropped? What is the velocity of the object when it hits the ground?
a) +44.1m , +29.4m/s b) - 44.1m , - 29.4m/s c) +14.7m , +29.4m/s d) -14.7m , - 29.4m/s

2. If you drop an object from a height of 50 meters, how long would it take for the object to hit
the ground? At what velocity will the object hit the ground?
a) 10.2s, +31.3m/s b) 10.2s, -31.3m/s c) 3.19s, +31.3m/s d) 3.19s, -31.3m/s

3. A body falls freely from rest. Find the distance it falls in 3 seconds. Find the velocity after
falling 70m. Also, find the time required to reach a velocity of -25m/s.
a) -44.1m, -37m/s b) -44.1m, -25m/s c) -21.6m, -37m/s d) -21.6m, -25m/s

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Case-2) Upward and downward motion
when object is going up, then v > 0 ,
v < vo , and a < 0
when object is going down, then v < 0
v > vo, and a < 0
* The time is takes for an object to go up =
time it take for it to come down
+
* initial speed = final speed

v = vo + at x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2

3. An object is thrown up in the air and reaches its maximum height in 2 seconds. What is the
initial velocity? How high did the object go up?
a) +19.6m/s, +19.6m b) -19.6m/s, -19.6m c) 0m/s, +29.4m/s d) 0m/s, -29.4m/s

Additional Practice Questions

1. A ball dropped from a bridge strikes the water in 5 seconds. Calculate the height of the bridge
and the velocity with which it strikes the water.

Ans) -122.5m , -49m/s

2. A stone is thrown downward with an initial velocity of -8m/s from a height of 25 meters. Find
the velocity with which it strikes the ground and time it takes to reach the ground.

Ans) -23.5m/s, 1.58(s)

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 v = vo + at x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2

3. A stone is thrown vertically upward with velocity 40m/s at the edge of a cliff having a height
of 110 meters. i) Compute the time required to strike the ground below the cliff. ii) With what
velocity does it strike? iii) Find the time when the stone is 50m above the cliff(release point) and
also find the velocity. iv) Find the time when the stone is 50m below the cliff and also find the
velocity. *~Solution is posted on LCHS CMS homepage

Ans) i) 10.3(s), ii) -61m/s, iii) t=1.54s(up), t=6.62(down), v=25m/s(up), v=-25m/s(down)

iv) t=9.26s (down), v=-51m/s(down)

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 v = vo + at x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2

4. A bag is dropped from a balloon that is 300 meters above the ground and rising at a constant
speed of 13m/s. For the bag, find the maximum height reached and the time it takes for it to the
ground.

v=13m/s

balloon!

bag!

y=300m

Ans) 8.6m(or 308.6m from the ground), 9.26(s)

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 v = vo + at x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2

5. An attacker at the base of a castle wall 3.65m high throws a rock straight up with speed 7.4m/s
from a height of 1.55m above the ground. (a) Will the rock reach the top of the wall? (b) If so,
what is its speed at the top? If not, what initial speed must it have to reach the top? (c) Find the
change in speed of a rock thrown straight down from the top of the wall at an initial speed of
7.4m/s and moving between the same two points. (d) Does the change in speed of the downward-
moving rock agree with the magnitude of the speed change of the rock moving upward between
the same elevations? (e) Explain physically why it does or does not agree

Ans) (a),(b) Yes, at vf = 3.69 m/s (c) 𝛥𝛥vdown = 2.39 m/s (d) 𝛥𝛥vup = 3.71 m/s. Does not agree
(e) The upward-moving rock spends more time in flight because its average speed is smaller than the
downward-moving rock, so the rock has more time to change its speed.

6. The height of a helicopter above the ground is given by h=3.00t3, where h is in meters and t is
in seconds. At t=2.00s, the helicopter releases a small mailbag. How long after its release does
the mailbag reach the ground?

Ans) t= 7.96s.

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 v = vo + at x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2

7. A student throws a set of keys vertically upward to her sorority sister, who is in a window
4.00m above. The second student catches the keys 1.50s later. (a) With what initial velocity were
the keys thrown? (b) What was the velocity of the keys just before they were caught?

Ans ) (a) 10m/s (b) −4.68 m/s

8. At time t=0, a student throws a set of keys vertically upward to her sorority sister, who is in a
window at distance h above. The second student catches the keys at time t. (a) With what initial
velocity were the keys thrown? (b) What was the velocity of the keys just before they were
caught?

ℎ 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 ℎ 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔
Ans) (a) + (b) −
𝑡𝑡 2 𝑡𝑡 2

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 v = vo + at x - xo = v0t + (½)at2 2a(x - xo)= v2 – vo2

9. A daring rancher sitting on a tree limb wishes to drop vertically onto a horse galloping under
the tree. The constant speed of the horse is 10.0m/s, and the vertical distance from the limb to the
level of the saddle is 3.00m. (a) What must be the horizontal distance between the saddle and
limb when the ranch makes this move? (b) For what time interval is he in the air?

Ans ) (a) 7.82m (b) 0.782s