A boy wishes to throw a ball through a house via two small openings, one in
the front and the other in the back window, the second window being directly
behind the first. If the boy stands at a distance of 5 m in front of the house and
the house is 6 m deep and if the opening in the front window is 5 m above him
and that in the back window 2 m higher, calculate the velocity and the angle
of projection of the ball that will enable him to accomplish his desire.
Factor | Description |
Window Size | The size of the windows needs to be large enough for the ball to pass through without clipping the edges. |
Ball Trajectory | The ball needs to be thrown with a trajectory that ensures it passes through both windows. |
Throwing Distance | The distance from where the throw is initiated will affect the launch angle and velocity needed. |
Window Height | The relative heights of the windows play a role in determining the trajectory. Identical heights simplify calculations. |
Ballistics | Understanding projectile motion principles is crucial for calculating the launch angle and velocity. |
Air Resistance | While negligible for short throws indoors, air resistance can slightly affect the trajectory in real-world scenarios. |
The scenario described is an application of projectile motion, a type of motion experienced by an object that is thrown near the Earth’s surface and moves along a curved path under the action of gravity only. The problem involves determining the initial velocity and angle of projection for a ball to pass through two windows of a house, with specific constraints on the distances and heights of the windows.
Explanation:
Projectile motion can be characterized by a parabolic path, described by the equation , where is the height, is the horizontal distance, and are constants related to the angle and velocity of projection. The angle and initial velocity can be found by solving for and using the given coordinates of the openings in the windows.
Solution:
Taking the point of projection as the origin, the coordinates of the two points and , which represent the coordinates of the openings in the windows, two equations can be established from the equation of the parabolic path:
(3)
(4)
These are two simultaneous equations with two unknowns and . Solving these equations will give the values of and , which can then be used to find and .
First, solve equation (3) for :
Next, substitute from equation (3) into equation (4):
Simplify and solve for :
Now, use the value of to solve for :
With and found, use the given equations and to solve for and , where is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately .
First, find using :
Next, solve for using :
To find , rearrange the equation:
First, calculate the denominator:
Now, solve for :
Final Answer:
The velocity and angle of projection required for the ball to pass through both windows are approximately and .