AP PHYSICS

GRAPHING PROBLEM

A PARTICLE MOVES ALONG THE PARABOLA WITH EQUATION

Y = 1/2 X2 SHOWN BELOW.

A) SUPPOSE TEH PARTICLE MOVES SO THAT THE X-COMPONENT OF ITS VELOCITY HAS THE CONSTANT VALUE

Vx = C; THAT IS, x = Ct.

I) ON THE DIAGRAM ABOVE, INDICATE THE DIRECTIONS OF THE PARTICLE'S VELOCITY VECTOR V AND THE ACCELERATION VECTOR A AT POINT R, AND LABEL EACH VECTOR.

II) DETERMINE THE Y-COMPONENT OF THE PARTICLE'S VELOCITY AS A FUNCITON OF X.

III) DETERMINE THE Y-COMPONENT OF THE PARTICLE'S ACCELERATION.

B) SUPPOSE, INSTEAD, THT THE PARTICLE MOVES ALONG THE SAME PARABOLA WITH A VELOCITY WHOSE

X-COMPONENT IS GIVEN BY

I) SHOW THAT THE PARTICLE'S SPEED IS CONSTANT IN THIS CASE

II) ON THE DIAGRAM BELOW, INDICATE THE DIRECTIONS OF THE PARTICLE'S VELOCITY VECTOR V AND THE ACCELERATION VECTOR A AT POINT S, AND LABEL EACH VECTOR. STATE THE REASONS FOR YOUR CHOICES.