Check For Understanding

FPC

Name: ________________________________

It is October. Baseball playoff time! In the National League Wildcard Game, the Pirates played the
Cubs. In the second inning, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs hit a hard line drive straight back at the pitcher
for the Pirates, Gerrit Cole. The radar gun captured the data below. The gun measured how much
time it took, in milliseconds (ms), for the ball to travel the distances shown in the table (in meters).
A millisecond (ms) is a thousandth of a second

Distance travelled by Line Drive

Time
(ms)
0
38
65
102
132
138
205

Distance
(meters)
0
2
3
5
6.5
7
10

Independent Variable
Time
Dependent Variable
Distance

To earn a 2:
1. Create a graph of the data shown in the data table. Make sure your graph meets the T.A.L.K.S.
requirements.
2. According to this graph, time and distance show a

linear

relationship. How do you know?

The relationship is linear because graphing the two variables produced a straight line. Which means
that as the IV changes, the DV changes at a constant rate.
3. Find the slope of the line using two (x, y) points from your graph. List the points you used, and
show your work below. Your slope should be in decimal form, rounded to TWO places past
the decimal point.
slope = y2 - y1

points: (0, 0) and (205, 10)

Slope = 10 0

x2 x1

= 10/205 = 0.05 m/ms

205-0

4. What does the slope of the line tell us about the motion of the baseball?
The slope of the line tells us the velocity of the baseball.
5. Write an equation (in d=vt form) that models the motion of the baseball.
d = .05t

Check For Understanding

FPC

Name: ________________________________

To earn a 3, answer questions 6-8.

You will need the equation from question #5 to answer questions 6 and 7.
6. It takes Gerrit Cole 330 milliseconds (ms) to duck after the ball is hit back at him.
a. How far has the ball travelled after 330 milliseconds? Show your work.
d =.05t
d= .05 m/ms (330 ms)
d= 16.5 m
b. The pitchers mound is 18.4 meters away from home plate. Does the ball hit Cole, the
pitcher, before he can duck?
No, when he ducks, the ball has only travelled 16.5 meters. So, he ducks before the ball gets to the
pitchers mound
7. Andrew McCutchen is waiting to catch the ball in center field. He is 98 meters away from home
plate.
a. How long will it take the ball to reach McCutchen? Show your work.
d =.05t
t = d/.05 = 98 m =

1960 ms

0.05 m/ms

8. First base is 27.4 meters away from home plate. After Rizzo hits the ball, it takes him 3.6 seconds
to run to first base.
a. What was Rizzos velocity as he was running to first? Show your work.
d = vt
v = d/t

= 27.4 m =
3.6 s

7.6 m/s

Check For Understanding

FPC

Name: ________________________________

To earn a 4:
After the ball is hit, McCutchen realizes that he is going to have to run to catch it.
9. To convert the velocity of the baseball from meters/millisecond to meters/second, multiply the
slope you calculated in question #3 by 1000.
a. ____.05____ X 1000 = ____50_____ m/s
b. Rewrite your equation for the baseball using the velocity in meters/second.
d = 50t
10. McCutchen runs backwards toward the outfield wall at a velocity at 6.5 m/s. When the ball is hit (at
time 0), he is 98 meters away from home plate.
a. Write an equation that models the motion of McCutchen as he runs backwards to catch the
ball.
d = 6.5t + 98
Use a table, a graph or the two equations to answer the question below.
11. How many seconds will ball be in the air before McCutchen and the ball arrive at the same point
on the field, and the ball can be caught?
Equation method:
d = 50t
d = 6.5t + 98
50t = 6.5t + 98
-6.5t -6.5t
43.5t = 98
43.5

43.5

t = 2.3 seconds
12. The center field wall at Wrigley field is 122 meters away from home plate. How far from the wall is
McCutchen when he catches the ball?
d = 6.5 m/s (2.3s) + 98 m = 113 m
He is 9 meters away from the wall.