Force and Motion Unit Test
A student holds a water balloon of an open window and lets go. The window is 10 meters above the ground, and the balloon is falling under the acceleration of gravity, which is 9.8m / (s ^ 2) There are two equations that can be used to describe its motion over time:
1. x = x_{0} + n_{0}*t + 1/2 * a * t ^ 2
2. v =e0+at
Would the balloon hit the ground before or after 1.0 s of falling? Which equation did you use to decide, and what comparison did you make to determine that it would or would not hit the ground by then?
Use 3-5 sentences to explain your reasoning.
(4 points)
To determine whether the balloon would hit the ground before or after 1.0 s of falling, we can use the equations of motion. In this case, we need to use the equation v = v0 + at, where v is the final velocity, v0 is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is the time.
Since the balloon is dropped from rest (v0 = 0) and the acceleration due to gravity is acting downward (a = 9.8 m/s^2), we can substitute these values into the equation. We then find that v = 9.8 m/s after 1.0 s of falling.
Since the balloon is still accelerating downwards, it will continue to fall after 1.0 s. Therefore, it would hit the ground after 1.0 s of falling.