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Overview of Gravity Equations for Objects Projected Downward
by Ron Kurtus (24 August 2009)
When you throw or project an object downward, it accelerates due to the force of gravity. But it also has an initial velocity adding to that acceleration. There are simple equations that allow you to calculate the velocity and distance traveled, as well as the time taken to achieve a given velocity or distance.
Note: You normally do not need to memorize these equations, but you should know where to find them in order to solve equations.
Questions you may have include:
- What are the velocity equations?
- What are the distance equations?
- What are the time equations?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.
Useful tools: Metric-English Conversion | Scientific Calculator.
Velocity equations
The equations for the velocity of an object projected downward at an initial velocity vi are:
v = gt + vi
v = √(2xg + vi2)
(See Gravity Velocity Equations for Objects Projected Downward for details on using these equations, as well as some examples.)
Distance equations
The equations for the distance traveled of an object projected downward at an initial velocity vi are:
x = gt2/2 + vit
x = (v2 − vi2)/2g
(See Gravity Distance Equations for Objects Projected Downward for details on using these equations, as well as some examples.)
Time equations
The equations for the elapsed time of an object projected downward at an initial velocity vi are:
t = (v − vi)/g
t = [−vi + √(vi2+ 2gx)]/g
(See Gravity Time Equations for Objects Projected Downward for details on using these equations, as well as some examples.)
Summary
There are equations for objects projected downward that allow you to calculate the velocity and distance traveled, as well as the time taken to achieve a given velocity or distance.
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Resources
The following resources provide information on this subject:
Websites
Acceleration due to Gravity Calculations - from Western Washington University
Gravitation and Gravity Resources
Books
Top-rated
books on Simple Gravity Science
Top-rated
books on Advanced Gravity Physics
Mini-quiz to check your understanding
If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Physics. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.
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Overview of Gravity Equations for Objects Projected Downward