Calculating Velocity of Tennis Ball Shot Straight Up

14 May 2024

Question:

What is the velocity of a tennis ball two seconds after being shot straight up with an initial velocity of 34m/s?

The velocity of the tennis ball two seconds after being shot straight up with an initial velocity of 34 m/s is 14.4 m/s upwards.

The student's question involves finding the velocity of a tennis ball two seconds after it has been shot straight up with an initial velocity.

To solve this problem, we use the kinematic equation that describes motion with constant acceleration, specifically the one for velocity:

v = v0 + at

Where:

v0 is the initial velocity (34 m/s upwards)

a is the acceleration due to gravity (-9.8 m/s2 downward)

t is the time after the initial event (2 seconds)

Plugging in the values, we get:

v = 34 m/s + (-9.8 m/s2) * 2 s

v = 34 m/s - 19.6 m/s

v = 14.4 m/s

Therefore, the velocity of the tennis ball two seconds after the launch would be 14.4 m/s upwards.