Math Problem Statement

find the answer

From the graph, estimate the instantaneous velocity with which the stone is thrown.

Solution

To estimate the instantaneous velocity with which the stone is thrown, we need to evaluate the slope of the position-time graph at the very beginning, near t=0t = 0. The slope of the position-time graph represents the velocity of the stone at any given point.

Let's break it down:

  1. Identify the initial position: The graph starts at a position of x(0)=10x(0) = 10 meters, which corresponds to the height of the platform.

  2. Estimate the slope near t=0t = 0: Instantaneous velocity is essentially the slope of the tangent to the curve at t=0t = 0.

    • At t=0t = 0, the graph shows that the stone is at 10 meters.
    • By inspecting the curve, the position reaches its maximum at around t=1.5t = 1.5 seconds, which means the velocity at t=0t = 0 is positive and the stone is moving upward.

    Let's estimate the velocity:

    • The stone starts at 10 meters and reaches about 15 meters in roughly 11 second.
    • The change in position Δx\Delta x from 10 meters to 15 meters over 1 second gives a rough estimate for the initial velocity.

    vΔxΔt=151010=5m/sv \approx \frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t} = \frac{15 - 10}{1 - 0} = 5 \, \text{m/s}

Thus, the estimated instantaneous velocity with which the stone is thrown is approximately 5m/s5 \, \text{m/s} upwards.


Would you like more details or have any further questions on this?

Here are some related questions:

  1. What is the velocity at the maximum height of the stone's path?
  2. How can you calculate the total time the stone is in the air?
  3. How would air resistance affect the graph and the stone's velocity?
  4. What is the acceleration of the stone at t=0t = 0?
  5. Can you use kinematic equations to find the exact initial velocity?

Tip: Instantaneous velocity is always found by taking the slope of the tangent to the position-time curve at the point of interest.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Kinematics
Graph Interpretation
Velocity

Formulas

v = Δx / Δt (velocity as the slope of the position-time graph)

Theorems

Kinematic equations for motion under constant acceleration

Suitable Grade Level

High School (Grades 9-12)