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What is this equation called? Can it work Horizontially as well?

  1. Dec 26, 2013 #1
    In my most recent math class one of the equations we had to know was -16t2+Tv0+Th0, I may have put the little letters out of order, but that is the basic formula, it has to do with figuring how long it will take something to land, the H being the point at which the projectile was fired/thrown from. I was playing angry birds, and thought it might work sideways as well as vertically? Basically I guess I'm asking if this isn't a horizontal equation, what would it be?
  2. jcsd
  3. Dec 26, 2013 #2


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    1. This is NOT an equation. An equation always has the = symbol between two expressions.
    2. Your formula is incorrect. It should be h(t) = -16t2 + v0t + h0. There is no time factor with the h0 term, and you shouldn't write both t and T for the same thing. The letter t is usually used to indicate time.

    This function gives the height at time t, of an object thrown with an initial velocity of v0 from an initial height of h0.
    The function above is strictly the vertical position at a given time. The -16t2 term is the clue there.

    To find the position of a ball thrown horizontally or at some angle from the horizontal, you have to break up the velocity vector into its vertical and horizontal components.
  4. Dec 26, 2013 #3
    Gravity does not pull horizontally, does it?
  5. Dec 27, 2013 #4


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    And you should be aware that the formula holds true only for one system of units. (Hint: it's not the metric system)

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