I`m trying to find acceleration and I've been given distance and velocity. How would I find acceleration? (distance is distance from the ground; a ball was dropped from a certain height and that is what distance stands for)
a = Δv/Δt =
(vfinal - vinitial) / (tfinal - tinitial)
thanks :)
To find acceleration, you need to use the equation:
Acceleration = Change in Velocity / Time
Since you have been given distance and velocity, you will need to first find the time it takes for the ball to reach the ground. You can use the equation for distance:
Distance = (Initial Velocity * Time) + (0.5 * Acceleration * Time^2)
In the case of a ball being dropped from rest, the initial velocity will be 0. Therefore, the equation simplifies to:
Distance = 0.5 * Acceleration * Time^2
Since you know the distance and acceleration, you can rearrange the equation to solve for time:
Time^2 = (2 * Distance) / Acceleration
Once you have the time, you can use it to find the acceleration using the equation:
Acceleration = (Final Velocity - Initial Velocity) / Time
Since the ball was dropped from rest, the initial velocity is 0, and the final velocity is the velocity just before it hits the ground. Let's call this velocity "v".
Acceleration = v / Time
So, to summarize:
1. Use the equation Distance = 0.5 * Acceleration * Time^2 to find the time it takes for the ball to reach the ground.
2. Use the equation Acceleration = v / Time to find the acceleration, where "v" is the final velocity just before the ball hits the ground.