Question 1
A ball is thrown from the ground and lands at the same height. The graph shows the vertical component of its velocity against time, with upwards positive. What is the maximum height the ball reaches?
SACE Physics calculations: projectiles, fields and photons
Most marks for calculations come from the steps: the right formula from the formula sheet, the values substituted with their units, and the answer to sensible significant figures with a unit and, for a vector, a direction.
| Formula sheet | Constants and formulae for each topic are provided |
|---|---|
| Significant figures | Usually three, matching the data |
| Working | Show each step, with units |
The calculations to know
- Projectiles: horizontal and vertical components treated separately, time of flight, range and maximum height.
- Momentum in two dimensions, with vector triangles; circular motion and satellite orbits.
- Time dilation and length contraction with the Lorentz factor.
Try 2 questions
Question 2
Singly charged positive ions of one kind are fired at different speeds at right angles into a uniform 0.500 T magnetic field, and the radius of each path is measured. The graph shows the results. Taking e = 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ C, what is the mass of each ion?
Next step
Questions people ask
How many significant figures should I give?
Usually as many as the least precise value in the question, often three.