Theme 5: Kinematics 1

Worksheet 1
Some included in this worksheet have been adapted from the resources accompanying the
textbook in the recommended reading list: “Physics” by James S. Walker, Pearson (2010).

1. A tennis ball is thrown horizontally with an initial speed of 10 m/s. If it hits the ground after 5
seconds, how far did it drop before hitting the ground?

2. A ball is thrown from a point 10 m above the ground. The initial velocity is 20 m/s at an angle
of 40 degrees above the horizontal.
(a) Find the maximum height of the ball above the ground.
(b) Calculate the speed of the ball at the highest point in the trajectory.

3. Two cannonballs, A and B, are fired from the ground with identical initial speeds, but with launch
angle of cannonball A larger than the launch angle of cannonball B.
(a) Which cannonball reaches a higher elevation?
(b) Which cannonball stays longer in the air?
(c) Which cannonball travels further?

4. A rock is launched from the ground into the air. After 1.40 seconds the rock is observed to have
a speed of 22.0 m/s at an angle +18.0o above horizontal. Neglecting air resistance, with what
speed and at what angle was the rock launched?

5. A certain projectile is launched with an initial speed v 0. At its highest point its speed is 1/2 v0.
What is the launch angle of the projectile?

6. A particle travels along a straight line to the right with a velocity of v = (4t – t 2) m/s where t is
in seconds. Assuming that, s = 0 when t = 0, find the position and the acceleration of the particle
at t = 5 seconds.

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7. The acceleration of a particle is given by the time-dependent equation: a ( t )=5 t−3 t 3
Given that, at t = 0, v(t) = 0 and s(t) = 0, determine the equations for changes in velocity and
displacement. Find also the velocity after 1 second.

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Answers

1. A tennis ball is thrown horizontally with an initial speed of 10 m/s. If it hits the ground after 5
seconds, how far did it drop before hitting the ground?

Solution

We only need to consider the vertical motion. The launch angle is zero degrees and the height of
the ball varies according to the following equation:

t2 ⇒ 52
h=v 0 sin ( θ ) t−9.81 h=10 ∙ sin ( 0 )−9.81 =−122.63 m
2 2

Note that the initial speed is actually irrelevant!

2. A ball is thrown from a point 10 m above the ground. The initial velocity is 20 m/s at an angle of
40 degrees above the horizontal.
(a) Find the maximum height of the ball above the ground.
(b) Calculate the speed of the ball at the highest point in the trajectory.

Solution:
The equation which describes the motion along the horizontal axis x is the following
x=v 0 cos ( θ ) t=15.3 t

Along axis y we have motion with constant acceleration:

2
t 2
y= y 0+ v 0 sin (θ ) t−9.81 =10+12.9 t−4.9t
2
u y =v 0 sin ( θ )−9.81t=12.9−9.8 t

(a) The point of the maximum height corresponds to the condition that the vertical velocity is
zero. Then we have:

⇒
0=12.9−9.8 t t=1.3 s

The maximum height is therefore:

⇒
2
h=10+12.9 ∙1.3−4.9 ∙1.3 h=18.5 m

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 (b) The y-component of velocity at maximum height is 0, then the speed is equal to x-component
of velocity:

v=v 0 cos ( θ )=15.3 m/ s

3. Two cannonballs, A and B, are fired from the ground with identical initial speeds, but with launch
angle of cannonball A larger than the launch angle of cannonball B.
(a) Which cannonball reaches a higher elevation?
(b) Which cannonball stays longer in the air?
(c) Which cannonball travels farther?

Solution:
(a) The vertical component of the initial velocity of the projectile is proportional to sinus of the
launch angle. Therefore, the vertical component of initial velocity of cannonball A is larger than the
vertical component of cannonball B. Cannonball A reaches a higher elevation.

(b) The time in the air depends only on the vertical component of the initial velocity of the
projectile. The larger the vertical component of the velocity the greater the time in the air.
Therefore cannonball A will stay longer in the air.

(c) From the data of the problem we cannot tell which one will travel farther. The range is
proportional to sin(2θ). It is maximum when the launch angle θ is 45 degrees. Therefore we can
have both possibilities:

Cannonball A travels further than cannonball B (for example, if the launch angle of cannonball A
is 45 degrees and the launch angle of cannonball B is 35 degrees.

Cannonball B travels further than cannonball A (for example, if the launch angle of cannonball B
is 45 degrees and launch angler of cannonball A is 55 degrees.

4. A rock is launched from the ground into the air. After 1.40 seconds the rock is observed to have
a speed of 22.0 m/s at an angle +18.0o above horizontal. Neglecting air resistance, with what
speed and at what angle was the rock launched ?

The horizontal component of the velocity is:

v x =v cos ( φ )=22cos (18)=20.9 m/ s

As the horizontal velocity remains constant,

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 v 0 x =20.9 m/s

The vertical component of velocity at time t = 1.4 s is:

⇒ ⇒ ⇒
v y =v 0 y −¿ v 0 y =vsin(φ)+¿ v 0 y =22 sin( 18)+9.81 ∙ 1.4 v 0 y =20.5 m/s

We can now find the magnitude and direction of the initial velocity:
v 0=√ v 0 x + v 0 y =√ 20.9 +20.5 =29.3 m/s
2 2 2 2

v 20.5
tan(θ)= 0 y = =0.98
v 0 x 20.9
Therefore, θ = 44.4 degrees.

5. A certain projectile is launched with an initial speed v 0. At its highest point its speed is 1/2 v0.
What is the launch angle of the projectile?

At the highest point the projectile only has a horizontal component of velocity.
Vx = Vocos(θ) = Vo/2, so cos(θ) = 0.5, i.e. θ = 60 degrees.

6. A particle travels along a straight line to the right with a velocity of v = (4t – t 2) m/s where t is
in seconds. Assuming that, s = 0 when t = 0, find the position and the acceleration of the particle
at t = 5 seconds.

a = dv / dt = d(4t – t2) / dt = 4 – 2t
 a = – 6 m/s2
Calculate the distance travelled in 5s by integrating the velocity using so = 0:
v = ds / dt  ds = v dt  ds = (4t – t2) dt
Integrate both sides to get:
s – so = 2t2 – 0.33t3
 s – 0 = 2(5)2 – 0.33(5)3  s = 50 – 41.67 = 8.33 m

7. The acceleration of a particle is given by the time-dependent equation: a ( t )=5 t−3 t 3

Given that, at t = 0, v(t) = 0 and s(t) = 0, determine the equations for changes in velocity and
displacement. Determine also the velocity after 1 second.

Determining the equation for velocity:

v t

∫ dv=∫ 5 t−3 t3 dt
0❑ 0❑

2 3 4
v (t)=2.5 t − t
4

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Determining the equation for displacement:
s t

∫ ds=∫ 2.5t 2− 34 t 4 dt
0❑ 0
❑

3 3 5
s(t )=0.83 t − t
20

The velocity after 1 second will be: 2.5x1-3/4x1 = 1.75 m/s.

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