Projectile Motion: How long was the ball in the air?

When dealing with projectile motion, the duration that an object remains in motion, also known as its 'time of flight', is determined by its vertical movement. In the scenario provided, Athletic Pete kicked a soccer ball with an initial velocity of 20 ft/sec from the ground.

To calculate the time the ball spent in the air, we can use the equation y = yo + Voyt - 1/2gt^2, where:

y = final position

yo = initial position (in this case, the ball was kicked from the ground, so yo = 0)

Voy = initial vertical velocity (20 ft/sec in this scenario)

t = time

g = acceleration due to gravity (approximately 32 ft/sec²)

By substituting the given values into the equation and solving for time 't', we find that the soccer ball was in the air for approximately 1.25 seconds. This calculation helps us understand the vertical motion of the projectile.

Understanding concepts like projectile motion can enhance your knowledge of physics and the behavior of objects in motion. If you want to explore more about projectile motion and its applications, feel free to delve deeper into the topic through additional resources and practice problems.