The graph below represents the velocity of a ball thrown straight up by a strong pitcher as a function of time. In the first part of the graph ending at A, the ball is accelerated to 39.2 m/s in a time of 0.20 s. After the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand, it experiences only the acceleration due to gravity until it is caught in a glove and brought to rest in the hand of the catcher.
To fully understand the graph and the information provided, let's break it down step by step:
1. The graph represents the velocity of a ball thrown straight up by a strong pitcher as a function of time. This means that the vertical velocity of the ball (upwards or downwards) is being measured and plotted against the time it takes for the ball to reach that velocity.
2. The graph consists of two parts:
a) The first part, ending at point A, represents the time when the ball is accelerated by the pitcher. During this time, the ball is being launched upwards with increasing velocity.
3. It is stated that the ball reaches a velocity of 39.2 m/s. This velocity is the highest point the ball reaches during its trajectory upwards before it starts descending back down.
4. The time it takes for the ball to reach this velocity is given as 0.20 seconds. This means that from the moment the ball was released by the pitcher, it took 0.20 seconds for it to reach its maximum upward velocity of 39.2 m/s.
5. After the ball reaches its maximum velocity, it starts descending due to the acceleration of gravity. This is illustrated by the downward slope of the graph after point A.
6. The ball will continue to descend until it is caught by a glove and brought to rest in the hand of the catcher. The catcher's action stops the ball from further accelerating downwards, resulting in its final velocity of zero.
To summarize, the graph shows that a ball is thrown upwards by a pitcher, reaches its maximum velocity of 39.2 m/s in 0.20 seconds, and then descends due to gravity until it is caught and brought to rest.