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Height (m) Time (sec)
0.490 0.1
0.882 0.2
1.176 0.3
1.372 0.4
1.470 0.5
1.470 0.6
1.372 0.7

A ball is launched at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizontal, and the vertical position of the ball is recorded at various points in time in the table shown, assuming the ball was at a height of 0 at time t = 0.

  1. Draw a graph of the ball's vertical velocity versus time.
  2. Describe the graph of the ball's horizontal velocity.
  3. Draw a graph of the ball's vertical acceleration versus time.

The graph of the ball's vertical velocity over time should begin at 4.90 m/s during the time interval 0 - 0.1 sec (there should be a data point at t = 0.05 sec, v = 4.90 m/s). It should then have a slope of -9.8 m/s 2 , crossing through v = 0 at t = 0.55 sec and ending at v = -0.98 m/s at t = 0.65 sec.

The graph of the ball's horizontal velocity would be a constant positive value, a flat horizontal line at some positive velocity from t = 0 until t = 0.7 sec.

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Summary

  • The graphical method of adding vectors A size 12{A} {} and B size 12{B} {} involves drawing vectors on a graph and adding them using the head-to-tail method. The resultant vector R size 12{A} {} is defined such that A + B = R . The magnitude and direction of R size 12{A} {} are then determined with a ruler and protractor, respectively.
  • The graphical method of subtracting vector B from A involves adding the opposite of vector B , which is defined as B size 12{ - B} {} . In this case, A B = A + ( –B ) = R . Then, the head-to-tail method of addition is followed in the usual way to obtain the resultant vector R .
  • Addition of vectors is commutative    such that A + B = B + A size 12{"A + B = B + A"} {} .
  • The head-to-tail method    of adding vectors involves drawing the first vector on a graph and then placing the tail of each subsequent vector at the head of the previous vector. The resultant vector is then drawn from the tail of the first vector to the head of the final vector.
  • If a vector A size 12{A} {} is multiplied by a scalar quantity c size 12{A} {} , the magnitude of the product is given by cA size 12{ ital "cA"} {} . If c size 12{c} {} is positive, the direction of the product points in the same direction as A size 12{A} {} ; if c size 12{c} {} is negative, the direction of the product points in the opposite direction as A size 12{A} {} .

Conceptual questions

Which of the following is a vector: a person's height, the altitude on Mt. Everest, the age of the Earth, the boiling point of water, the cost of this book, the Earth's population, the acceleration of gravity?

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Give a specific example of a vector, stating its magnitude, units, and direction.

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What do vectors and scalars have in common? How do they differ?

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Two campers in a national park hike from their cabin to the same spot on a lake, each taking a different path, as illustrated below. The total distance traveled along Path 1 is 7.5 km, and that along Path 2 is 8.2 km. What is the final displacement of each camper?

At the southwest corner of the figure is a cabin and in the northeast corner is a lake. A vector S with a length five point zero kilometers connects the cabin to the lake at an angle of 40 degrees north of east. Two winding paths labeled Path 1 and Path 2 represent the routes travelled from the cabin to the lake.
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If an airplane pilot is told to fly 123 km in a straight line to get from San Francisco to Sacramento, explain why he could end up anywhere on the circle shown in [link] . What other information would he need to get to Sacramento?

A map of northern California with a circle with a radius of one hundred twenty three kilometers centered on San Francisco. Sacramento lies on the circumference of this circle in a direction forty-five degrees north of east from San Francisco.
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Suppose you take two steps A and B (that is, two nonzero displacements). Under what circumstances can you end up at your starting point? More generally, under what circumstances can two nonzero vectors add to give zero? Is the maximum distance you can end up from the starting point A + B the sum of the lengths of the two steps?

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Source:  OpenStax, College physics for ap® courses. OpenStax CNX. Nov 04, 2016 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11844/1.14
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