A 0145-Kg Baseball Is Dropped From Rest: What Happens

A 0145-Kg baseball is dropped from rest and hits the ground. What happens to the baseball?

The baseball will experience a force due to gravity, which will cause it to accelerate downwards. The baseball will eventually hit the ground, at which point it will stop accelerating and will come to a rest.

Introduction

A 0145-kg baseball is dropped from rest. What happens? The ball will accelerate downward due to the force of gravity. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2. Therefore, the ball will accelerate at 9.8 m/s^2 until it reaches the ground.

The Physics of a Falling Baseball

If you were to drop a 0145-kg baseball from rest, it would accelerate at 9.8 m/s^2 until it reached terminal velocity. After that, it would continue to fall at that constant velocity. But what exactly is terminal velocity?

Newton’s Laws of Motion

In order to better understand the physics of a falling baseball, we must first review Newton’s three laws of motion. These laws describe the relationship between an object’s mass and its acceleration.

Newton’s first law states that an object will remain at rest or move in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This means that a baseball will not start falling unless a force (such as gravity) is applied to it. Once the ball starts falling, it will continue to fall until another force (such as air resistance) slows it down.

Newton’s second law states that the acceleration of an object is proportional to the sum of the forces acting on it. This means that the more force acting on the baseball, the faster it will fall. For example, if we drop a baseball from a height of 10 meters, it will fall faster than if we drop it from a height of 1 meter.

Finally, Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when the baseball hits the ground, the ground will exert an equal and opposite force on the ball. The result is that the ball bounces back up into the air.

Terminal Velocity

A projectile reaching its terminal velocity experiences a constant drag force. The drag force increases with velocity until it equals the weight of the object, at which point the object reaches a constant velocity and experiences zero acceleration.

The formula for drag force is:

Fd = -Cd * r * A * v2/2
-Cd is the drag coefficient
-r is the density of the fluid
-A is the cross-sectional area
-v is velocity

For an object falling through air, the density, r, is usually given as 1.2 kg/m3. The value of the drag coefficient, Cd, can vary widely depending on the shape of the object and its orientation to the flow. A sphere oriented perpendicular to flow has a Cd of about 0.47, while a flat plate held parallel to flow has a Cd of 1.0.

Assuming a value for Cd and solving for v2 we get:

v2 = 2 * W/(Cd * r * A)
where W is weight (N)

The Energy of a Falling Baseball

If you dropped a 0145-kg baseball from a height of 1.5 m, it would fall to the ground, gaining kinetic energy. The amount of energy it would gain would be equal to its gravitational potential energy at the starting height.

Kinetic Energy

The kinetic energy of a baseball that is dropped from rest can be calculated using the formula KE = 1/2mv^2, where KE is the kinetic energy, m is the mass of the baseball, and v is the velocity of the baseball. The mass of a 0145-Kg baseball is 0145 kg, and the velocity of a falling baseball increases at a rate of 9.8 m/s^2. This means that the kinetic energy of a 0145-Kg baseball that is dropped from rest can be calculated to be 1/2*0145 kg*(9.8 m/s^2)^2, or 574 J.

Potential Energy

When a baseball is dropped from rest, it gains potential energy. Potential energy is the energy that an object has because of its position. In this case, the baseball has potential energy because it is high up off the ground. The higher it is, the more potential energy it has.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when a 0145-kg baseball is dropped from rest, it will accelerate at 9.81 m/s2 until it reaches the ground. The force of gravity is acting on the baseball the entire time it is falling, and this causes the acceleration.