In: Advanced Math
We can use our knowledge of air resistance to calculate its effect on a baseball in 2-dimensional projectile motion.
The effect of air resistance can be modeled with an extra acceleration term, so that the acceleration is no longer simply ⃗a = ⃗g but rather
⃗a = ⃗g − bv⃗v
We will use b = 0.002 m^(−1), a reasonable value for a baseball
flying through the air.
Let the initial velocity of the ball be 35 m/s at an angle of 42◦ above the horizontal.
(a) Write the expressions for ax and ay as functions of vx and vy.
(b) Write the expressions for x,y,vx, and vy as a function of t during the flight of the ball.
(c) How much shorter is the total range of the ball, due to losses from air resistance?