If a mass is thrown upward, it rises, then falls back down. This motion’s v-t and s-t graphs (↑+ve sign convention) will look like
- v-t graph is a straight line graph with gradient corresponding to downward 9.81 m s-2, both on the way up and down. The triangular area corresponds to the maximum height reached.
- s-t graph is a quadratic curve, with initial gradient equal to u.
Example
A frog jumps vertically.
a) At what speed must the frog lift off the ground if it were to rise through a height of 50 cm?
b) For how long does the frog stay in the air?
Solution
a)
Since at maximum height,
b)
Time to reach the peak tp
It takes equal amount of time to go up as come down.
So the total time it stays in the air
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Video Explanation
Demonstration