PhysicsLAB Practice Problems
Conservation of Energy and Projectiles

Directions: On this worksheet you will practice working with projectiles released in five different modes. Solutions should include the use of energy methods as well as kinematics.

The ball from cliff A is released from rest.
The ball from cliff B is thrown straight up.
The ball from cliff C is thrown straight down.
The ball from cliff D is thrown up at an angle.
The ball from cliff E is thrown straight forward.


 Question 1  Background Information for every problem:
  • Each cliff is 13 meters tall.
  • Each ball has a mass of 271 grams.
  • On cliffs B-E, each ball is released at a speed of 5 m/sec.
  • The ball from cliff D is released at an angle of 53º.

True or false. Energy methods reveal that balls B, C, D, and E will all strike the ground traveling at the same resultant impact velocity.
Question 2  How far from the base of the cliff E will ball #5 strike the ground?
Question 3  At what angle will ball #5 strike the ground at the base of cliff E?
Question 4  How high above the ground at the base of cliff D will ball #4 rise before it begins its final descent?
Question 5  How high above the ground will ball #2 be located when its instantaneous resultant velocity equals 2.50 m/sec?
Question 6  If balls B and C are released simultaneouly, how much time will pass after ball #3 strikes the ground at the base of cliff C before ball #2 strikes the ground at the base of cliff B?
Question 7  Another ball is later projected horizontally from cliff E with an initial velocity of 10 m/sec.

True or False: This second ball would require more time than the initial ball in question #2 before it strikes the ground at the base of the cliff.
Question 8  After it is released from the top of cliff A, how much PE will ball #1 have when its vertical velocity equals -13.0 m/sec?


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