Question

A tennis ball on Mars, where the acceleration due to gravity is 0.379 of a g and air resistance is negligible, is hit directly upward and returns to the same level 8.40s later.How high above its original point did the ball go? How fast was it moving just after being hit?

Answer 1

The tennis ball reached the highest point on Mars after 4.20 seconds by using the acceleration due to gravity on Mars. Calculating with the given values provides the height and the initial velocity just after being hit.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate how high the tennis ball went on Mars, we'll use kinematic equations. Since the ball returns to the same level, the first half of the trajectory is upwards until it comes to a stop, and the second half is the downward return. The total time for both halves is 8.40 seconds, so it takes 4.20 seconds to reach the highest point.

The acceleration due to gravity on Mars is given as 0.379 of Earth's gravity (g), which is approximately 3.71 m/s2 on Mars. Using this, the height (h) reached can be calculated using the formula h = (1/2) * g * t2.

To find the initial velocity (vi) that the ball was hit with, use vi = g * t.

Substituting the values we get:

h = (1/2) * 3.71 m/s2 * (4.20 s)2
vi = 3.71 m/s2 * 4.20 s