VISUAL PHYSICS ONLINE

 

 

Description: Description: Image result for image toy rocketSIMULATION WORKSHEET

UNIFORM ACCELERATION

 

 

 

 

 

We will consider the motion of an object such as a toy rocket that only moves in a vertical direction with a constant acceleration.

 

The equations describing the motion are

 

 

You are to answer each of the following questions using paper and pen and then

 

View and run the uniform acceleration simulation

 

In the simulation, you can change the values of the initial velocity u in increments of 5 m.s-1 from -20 m.s-1 to 35 m.s-1 or change the acceleration a from -10 m.s-2 to 8 m.s-2 in increments of 2 m.s-2 by hitting the increment buttons.

 

By changing the values of u and a in the simulation, you can check your answers to the following questions. For any questions that you got incorrect, you should be able to account for the discrepancies by running the simulation with different input parameters and hence gain a better understanding of the physics.

 

This technique of POE (Predict Observe Explain) is a powerful learning strategy that will help you improve your study methods.

 

 


Questions

Verical Motion: up is taken as the positive direction.

Initial conditions t = 0, s = 0

 

1.                What is the shape of the displacement s / time t graph for a < 0 and a > 0?

 

2.                What is the shape of the velocity v / time t graph for a < 0 and a > 0?

 

3.                What is the shape of the acceleration a / time t graph for a < 0 and a > 0?

 

4.                If a < 0 and u > 0, what is the velocity v of the object when it reaches its maximum height? What is the acceleration a when the object stops at its highest point? What is the slope of the a / t when the object is at its highest point? What is the slope of the v / t when the object is at its highest point? Compare the times for the object to reach its maximum height and then return to s = 0.

 

5.                What is the acceleration a of the object when it is moving up or moving down?

 

6.                What is the slope of the s / t when the object is moving up?

 

7.                What is the slope of the s / t when the object is moving down?

 

8.                What is the slope of the s / t when the object is at its highest point?

 

9.                What quantity does the slope of the s / t graph correspond too?

 

10.          What is the slope of the v / t when the object is moving up?

 

11.          What is the slope of the v / t when the object is moving down?

 

12.          What quantity does the slope of the v / t graph correspond too?

 

13.          What is the slope of the a / t when the object is moving up?

 

14.          What is the slope of the a / t when the object is moving down?

 

15.          Sketch the three graphs for the motion of a ball thrown vertically into the air (up is positive) when u = 20 m.s-1 and a = -10 m.s-2.

s / t v / t a / t

 

16.          What are the changes in the three graphs when only the initial velocity is changed?

 

17.          What are the changes in the three graphs when only the acceleration is changed?

 

18.          At time t = 0 s and s = 0 m, the initial velocity is u = 20 m.s-1and a = -10 m.s‑2. Calculate the following for the motion of the object: (a) The velocity when the displacement is again zero, s = 0 m. (b) The time taken to return to s = 0 m. (c) The maximum height. (d) The velocity at the maximum height. (e) The time taken to reach the maximum height. (f) When time t = 1.0 s, calculate the acceleration, the velocity and displacement of the object. (g) When time t = 3.0 s, calculate the acceleration, the velocity and displacement of the object.

 

19.              Given t = 0, s = 0, a = 4.0 m.s-2 and u = -20 m.s-1. Sketch the three graphs

s / t v / t a / t

 

Calculate the following for the motion of the object at time t = 5.0 s and t = 10 s: (a) acceleration, (b) velocity, and (c) displacement.

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Cooper

Any comments, corrections, suggestion

email: matlabvisualphysics@gmail.com