Free Fall Examples

Example 2-14
Falling from a tower (v0 = 0)

Note!
Take y as positive
DOWNWARD!
v = at
y = (½)at2
a = g = 9.8 m/s2
 Example 2-14
Falling from a tower (v0 = 0)

Note!
Take y as positive
DOWNWARD!
v = at
y = (½)at2
a = g = 9.8 m/s2
 Example 2-14
v1 = (9.8)(1) Falling from a tower (v0 = 0)
= 9.8 m/s

v2 = (9.8)(2) Note!
= 19.6 m/s
Take y as positive
v3 = (9.8)(3) DOWNWARD!
= 29.4 m/s
v = at
y = (½)at2
a = g = 9.8 m/s2
 Example 2-15:
Thrown Down From a Tower
A ball is thrown downward with initial velocity
v0 = 3.0 m/s, instead of being dropped.
(a) Position after t = 1.0 s & 2.0 s?
(b) Speed after t = 1.0 s & 2.0 s?
Compare with speeds of a dropped ball.

Photo of the leaning

tower of Pisa
 Example 2-15:
Thrown Down From a Tower
A ball is thrown downward with initial velocity
v0 = 3.0 m/s, instead of being dropped.
(a) Position after t = 1.0 s & 2.0 s?
y = v0t + (½)at2
t = 1.0 s; y = (3)(1) + (½)(9.8)(1)2 = 7.9 m
t = 2.0s ; y = (3)(2) + (½)(9.8)(2)2 = 25.6 m

Photo of the leaning

tower of Pisa
 Example 2-15:
Thrown Down From a Tower
A ball is thrown downward with initial velocity
v0 = 3.0 m/s, instead of being dropped.
(a) Position after t = 1.0 s & 2.0 s?
y = v0t + (½)at2
t = 1.0 s; y = (3)(1) + (½)(9.8)(1)2 = 7.9 m
t = 2.0s ; y = (3)(2) + (½)(9.8)(2)2 = 25.6 m

(b) Speed after t = 1.0 s & 2.0 s?

v = v0 + at
Photo of the leaning
tower of Pisa t = 1.0 s; v = 3 + (9.8)(1) = 12.8m/s
t = 2.0s ; v = 3 + (9.8)(2) = 22.6m/s
Compare with speeds of a dropped ball.
 Examples 2-16, 2-18, 2-19
v = 0 here
A person throws a ball up into the air with
but still have
initial velocity v0 = 15.0 m/s. Questions:
a = -g a. Time to the top? b. Round trip time?
c. Maximum height? d. Velocity when
Time to the top it comes back to the start?
= (½) round trip e. Times when the height y = 8.0 m?
time!

vC = -vA
(= -v0)

vA = v0 = 15 m/s
choose y as positive upward
 a = -g = - 9.8 m/s2
Example 2-19: Ball thrown upward; the quadratic formula. For a
ball thrown upward at an initial speed of v0 = 15.0 m/s, calculate the
times t the ball passes a point y = 8.0 m above the person’s hand.
Example 2-20: Ball thrown upward at the edge of a cliff.
A ball is thrown up with initial
velocity v0 = 15.0 m/s, by a person
standing on the edge of a cliff, so
that it can fall to the base of the cliff
50.0 m below.
Calculate:
a. The time it takes the ball to
reach the base of the cliff.
b. The total distance traveled by
the ball.
 Example: Not a bad throw for a rookie!
A stone is thrown at point (A) from the top of a
building with initial velocity v0 = 19.2 m/s
straight up. The building is H = 49.8 m high,
& the stone just misses the edge of the roof on
its way down, as in the figure.
Calculate:
a) The time at which it reaches its
maximum height.
b) It’s maximum height above the rooftop.
c) The time at which it returns to the
thrower’s hand.
d) It’s velocity when it returns to the
thrower’s hand.
e) It’s velocity & position at time t = 5 s.