Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite

Edward F. Redish

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Rolling up and down

A ball is launched up a ramp by a spring as shown in the figure at the right. At the time when the clock starts, the ball is near the bottom of the ramp and rolling up the ramp as shown. It goes to the top and then rolls back down.

For the graphs shown below, the horizontal axis represents the time. The vertical axis is unspecified.

For each of the following quantities, select the letter of the graph that could provide a correct graph of the quantity for the ball in the situation shown (if the vertical axis were assigned the proper units). Use the x and y coordinates shown in the picture. If none of the graphs could work write N.

(a) The x component of the ball's position. _______
(b) The y-component of the ball's velocity_______
(c) The x-component of the ball's acceleration_______
(d) The y-component of the normal force the ramp exerts on the ball_______
(e) The x-component of the ball's velocity_______
(f) The x-component of the force of gravity acting on the ball_______

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Page last modified October 8, 2002: D06