Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 5.

5 Page 1 of 3
Section 5.5: Projectile Motion
Big idea: Newtons Second Law is a differential equation that relates force to acceleration.
Integrating the equation once leads to an equation for the velocity, and integrating a second time
leads to an equation for the position.
Big skill: You should be able to calculate properties of projectile motion using the equations
below.
1. Projectile motion equations:
0 0
) ( x t v t x
x
+
0 0
2
2
1
) ( y t v gt t y
y
+ +
x x
v t v
0
) (
y y
v gt t v
0
) ( +
2. At a projectiles highest point, v
y
(t) = 0
g
v
t
y 0

.
3. The general equation of the parabolic path of a projectile is:
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
y
v
x x
v
v
x x
g y
x
y
x
+

,
_

,
_

4. The range of a projectile that lands at the same height its starts at is:
2
0 0
0
2
2 sin cos
x y
v v
v
R
g g


Derivation of the projectile motion equations:
Motion in the x direction Motion in the y direction
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
0
0
0
0
x x
x
x
x
x
x x
F ma
d
m v t
dt
d v t dt
d v t dt
v t c
v t v

1
]
1
]
1
]

( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
0
y y
y
y
y
y
y y
F ma
d
mg m v t
dt
d v t g dt
d v t g dt
v t gt c
v t gt v

1
]
1
]
1
]
+
+

( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
0
0
0
0
0 0
x x
x
x
x
x
v t v
d
x t v
dt
d x t v dt
x t v t c
x t v t x

1
]
1
]
+
+

( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
0
0
0
2
0
2
0 0
1
2
1
2
y y
y
y
y
y
v t gt v
d
y t gt v
dt
d y t gt v dt
y t gt v t c
y t gt v t y
+
+ 1
]
+ 1
]
+ +
+ +

Practice:
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 5.5 Page 2 of 3
If a ball is thrown down from the top of the empire State building (1250 feet high) with an initial
downward speed of 15 feet per second, how fast will it hit the ground below, and how long will
it take to get there?
A soccer ball is kicked at an angle of 38 with a speed of 75 meters per second. How long will it
be in the air, what is its maximum height, and where will it land (assuming the field is level)? If
the field slopes downward at 4, where will it land?
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 5.5 Page 3 of 3
Suppose that a projectile is fired from a cannon at 225 m/s at a launch angle of 68 toward a bluff
that is 575 m from the cannon and is 625 m above the launch site.
a. ( __ / 5 ) How long does it take the projectile to reach its highest altitude?
b. ( __ / 5 ) How high above the bluff is the projectile at this time?
c. ( __ / 5 ) How long does it take the projectile to fall to the top of the bluff from its
maximum height?
d. ( __ / 5 ) How far has the projectile traveled in the x direction when it hits the ground?