Projectile Motion
Motion in Two Dimensions
At the instant a horizontally pointed cannon ball
is fired, a cannonball held at the cannon’s side is
released and drops to the ground. Which
cannonball strikes the ground first, the one fired
from the cannon or the one dropped?
What is a Projectile?
Any object that continues in motion by its own
inertia and is influenced only by the downward
force of gravity (and air resistance)
Examples:
The path that the projectile
follows is a parabola…
the path is called its trajectory
Horizontal Motion
If there is no force acting on an object, then it will
continue moving at a constant speed in the same
direction.
- there will be no change in its velocity
- distance will increase the same amount with each second
Vertical Motion
Free Fall Revisited
An object in free fall is only acted on by gravity
- Acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s 2
– distance covered increases with each second
Projectile Motion Combines Vertical
Motion and Horizontal Motion
The vertical motion of a projectile is not affected by its
horizontal motion
-meaning: The vertical motion of a projectile is identical to
an object in free fall
The horizontal motion of a projectile is not affected by its
vertical motion
- meaning the projectile will travel the same horizontal
distance as it would if it were simply rolling on a flat
surface in the absence of friction
Projectile Motion Combines Horizontal
Motion and Vertical Motion
The vertical and horizontal
motion of a projectile are
independent of each other
Horizontal Path Without Gravity
Vertical Path
Projectile Motion
Projectiles follow a parabolic
trajectory
Horizontal component along
trajectory remains unchanged.
Acceleration only occurs in the
vertical component
Projectile Motion and
Complementary Angles
Different launch angles result in different horizontal
distances traveled by the projectile
Same range is obtained from two different launching angles when the
angles add up to 90°.
Object launched at an angle of 60 has the same range as if it were thrown at an
angle of 30.
- What launch angle would have the same range as a projectile
launched at 20o?
Projectile Calculations
For Projectiles Launched horizontally
Horizontal Distance
d = v(t)
Horizontal Velocity
vf = vi + at
Vertical Distance
d = vit + ½ gt2
Vertical Velocity
Vf = Vi + gt
Review
What is the path of a projectile called?
Trajectory
Review
Is projectile No, it is 2
motion one dimensional-
dimensional? vertical and horizontal
Review
What force (s) is Gravity only
acting on the
projectile?
Review
Which direction, Vertical
horizontal or vertical has
acceleration?
Which direction, Horizontal
horizontal or vertical has
constant speed?
Review
Two identical balls roll Both hit the ground at the
off the edge of a table. same time. The difference
One leaves the table in horizontal velocity does
travelling twice the speed not affect the vertical time.
of the other. Which ball
hits the floor first?
Review
At the instant a horizontally pointed cannon ball
is fired, a cannonball held at the cannon’s side is
released and drops to the ground. Which
cannonball strikes the ground first, the one fired
from the cannon or the one dropped?
They hit at the exact same time
Draw vector arrows representing the vx and vy velocity components
during the course of the motion. The length of the arrows should
represent the magnitude of the velocity components.
Draw vector arrows representing
the vx and vy velocity components during the
course of the motion.
Component Magnitude Direction
Horizontal Constant Constant
Vertical Changes Changes
PROBLEM
SOLVING
YOU CAN DO IT. FIGHTING!!!!!!
1. A plane traveling with a
horizontal velocity of 100 m/s is
500 m above the ground. At some
point the pilot drops a bomb on a
target below.
(a)How long is the bomb in the air?
(b) How far away from point above
where it was dropped will it land?
2. A place kicker kicks a football with a
velocity of 20.0 m/s and at an angle of
53 degrees.
(a) How long is the ball in the air?
(b) How far away does it land?
(c) How high does it travel?
