In: Physics
We often think about two-dimensional motion in terms of a projectile, like someone throwing a ball up in the air. Consider, instead, the surface of an air-hockey table, where the puck travels horizontally from one end of the table to the other. Imagine you’re standing at one end of the table and answer the following questions in your initial post to the discussion.
1. Describe the shape of the puck’s path, starting from the end
of the table where you’re standing, as it undergoes the following
types of motion:
a. acceleration in the x-direction
b. acceleration in the y-direction
c. constant velocity in the x-direction with acceleration in the
negative y-direction
2. What must be true of x-velocity and y-velocity for the puck to travel at a 45-degree angle?
3. How can you make the angle steeper or shallower?
4. Can the puck follow a straight path if it’s accelerating in one or both directions? Choose your own orientation for the coordinate system.