When an object is thrown straight up into the air, it experiences a unique motion due to the force of gravity. This type of motion is often referred to as vertical motion or free fall. Let’s delve into the details of what happens when an object is thrown upwards.
1. Initial velocity: When the object is thrown upwards, it initially has a positive velocity. The magnitude of the velocity depends on the force with which it was thrown. The object accelerates in the upward direction due to this initial velocity.
2. Acceleration due to gravity: Gravity is the force that attracts objects towards the center of the Earth. Near the surface of the Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (9.8 m/s^2). This means that every second, the velocity of the object decreases by 9.8 meters per second.
3. Deceleration: As the object moves higher, the acceleration due to gravity causes it to slow down. This deceleration continues until the object reaches its maximum height. At this point, the object momentarily stops before starting to fall back down.
4. Maximum height: The maximum height reached by the object depends on various factors such as the initial velocity and the force with which it was thrown. The formula to calculate the maximum height is h = (v^2)/(2g), where h is the maximum height, v is the initial velocity, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
5. Reversing direction: After reaching its maximum height, the object starts to fall back down due to the force of gravity. The acceleration due to gravity now acts in the downward direction, causing the object to accelerate.
6. Symmetry: The motion of the object when it is falling back down is symmetrical to its motion when it was thrown upwards. This means that the time taken to reach the maximum height is equal to the time taken to fall back down to the initial height.
7. Final velocity: As the object falls back down, its velocity increases due to the acceleration caused by gravity. When it reaches the initial height (where it was thrown from), its velocity is the same magnitude as the initial velocity, but in the opposite direction. This is because the object has reversed its direction.
8. Impact: When the object reaches the ground, its velocity is again equal to the initial velocity with which it was thrown, but in the opposite direction. The impact depends on various factors such as the mass and composition of the object and the surface on which it lands.
When an object is thrown straight up into the air, it undergoes a specific motion characterized by an initial upward acceleration, deceleration, reversal of direction, and a symmetrical fall back to the initial height. The force of gravity plays a crucial role in determining the object’s motion throughout this process.