High School

A ball thrown vertically returns to the thrower after 6 seconds. What is the velocity with which it was thrown up? (Take [tex]g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2[/tex])

A. 24.9 m/s
B. 29.4 m/s
C. 39.4 m/s
D. 34.9 m/s

Answer :

Final answer:

The initial velocity of a ball thrown vertically upwards and returning after 6 seconds, with gravity at 9.8 m/s², is 29.4 m/s, corresponding with option B.

Explanation:

The student's question involves calculating the initial velocity of a ball thrown vertically upwards, given that it returns to the thrower's hand after 6 seconds. Assuming the acceleration due to gravity (g) as 9.8 m/s², the required initial velocity can be found using the kinematic equation for uniformly accelerated motion.

For the ball to return in 6 seconds, it takes half of that time, namely 3 seconds, to reach the apex of its trajectory where its velocity becomes 0. Therefore, we can use the velocity-time relation for uniformly accelerated motion, which is:

v = u + at

At the apex, v = 0 (the final velocity), a = -9.8 m/s² (acceleration due to gravity acting downwards), and t = 3 s (the time taken to reach the apex).

Plugging the values into the equation yields:

0 = u - (9.8 m/s²)(3 s)

u = (9.8 m/s²)(3 s)

u = 29.4 m/s²

Thus, the initial velocity with which the ball was thrown up is 29.4 m/s, which corresponds to option B.

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