To determine the time it takes for a ball thrown horizontally from a height of 90 meters to reach a height of 45 meters, we can break the problem down into two parts: the vertical motion and the horizontal motion. Since the ball is thrown horizontally, its initial vertical velocity is zero, and we will focus on how long it takes to fall from 90 meters to 45 meters.
Understanding Vertical Motion
The vertical motion of the ball is influenced by gravity, which accelerates the ball downwards at approximately 9.81 m/s². We can use the following kinematic equation to find the time it takes to fall a certain distance:
- Equation: h = h₀ + v₀t + (1/2)gt²
In this equation:
- h is the final height (45 m)
- h₀ is the initial height (90 m)
- v₀ is the initial vertical velocity (0 m/s)
- g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²)
- t is the time in seconds
Setting Up the Equation
We can rearrange the equation to find the time:
- First, substitute the known values:
- 45 = 90 + 0*t - (1/2)(9.81)t²
This simplifies to:
Now, we can rearrange it to isolate the term with time:
- 4.905t² = 90 - 45
- 4.905t² = 45
Solving for Time
Next, we can solve for t²:
- t² = 45 / 4.905
- t² ≈ 9.16
Now, take the square root to find t:
- t ≈ √9.16
- t ≈ 3.02 seconds
Final Result
Thus, the time it takes for the ball to reach a height of 45 meters from the ground is approximately 3.02 seconds. This calculation shows how the vertical motion under the influence of gravity can be analyzed separately from the horizontal motion, which remains constant at 4.5 m/s in this case.