Francine Dawn S.

Molo
BS Chemical Engineering- 2
Group 4

PROJECTILE MOTION
Experiment No. 1
I.

Introduction:
This lab entertained the idea of projectile motion and how, at different maximum
heights and velocities, an object can fly shorter or farther distances. The point of the lab
was to find the initial velocity of the projectile launched, as well as the final distance it

reached after launching it at an angle.

II.
Procedure
Part A. Determining the Initial Velocity of the Ball
1. Put the plastic ball into the Projectile Launcher and cock it to the long
range position. Fire one shot to locate where the ball hits the floor. At
this position, tape a piece of white paper to the floor. Place a piece of
carbon paper (carbon-side down) on top of this paper and tape it
down. When the ball hits the floor, it will leave a mark on the white
paper.
2. Fire about ten shots.
3. Measure the vertical distance from the bottom of the ball as it leaves
the barrel (this position is marked on the side of the barrel) to the
floor. Record this distance in Table 1.1.
4. Use a plumb bob to find the point on the floor that is directly beneath
the release point on the barrel. Measure the horizontal distance along
the floor from the release point to the leading edge of the paper.
Record in Table 1.1.
5. Measure from the leading edge of the paper to each of the ten dots
and record these distances in Table 1.1.
6. Find the average of the ten distances and record in Table 1.1
7. Using the vertical distance and the average horizontal distance,
calculate the time of flight and the initial velocity of the ball. Record in
Table 1.1.
Part B. Predicting the Range of the Ball Shot at an Angle
1. Adjust the angle of the Projectile Launcher to an angle between 30
and 60 degrees and record this angle in Table 1.2.
2. Using the initial velocity and vertical distance found in the first part of
this experiment, assume the ball is shot off at the new angle you have
just selected and calculate the new time of flight and the new
horizontal distance. Record in Table 1.2.

3. Draw a line across the middle of a white piece of paper and tape the
paper on the floor so the line is at the predicted horizontal distance
from the Projectile Launcher. Cover the paper with carbon paper.
4. Shoot the ball ten times.
5. Measure the ten distances and take the average. Record in Table 1.2.
III.

to
=
=

Results:
Trial Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average
Total
Trial Distance
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average
Total Distance

Distance (m)
2.435
2.665
2.650
3.090
2.940
3.095
3.250
3.320
2.730
2.435
2.861
28.61 (m)
Distance
3.840
3.440
3.710
3.750
3.230
3.100
3.340
3.930
3.350
2.540
3.423
34.23

Table 1.1 Determining

the Initial Velocity
Vertical

Distance

1.225m
Horizontal distance
paper edge = 2.861 m
Calculated time of flight
0.5 s

Initial Velocity

5.722 m/s

Table 1.2 Confirming the Predicted Range

Angle above horizontal =

45

Horizontal distance to paper

edge = 3.423 m
Calculated time of flight = 0.0826 s

Predicted Range = 3.340 m

Analysis:
1. Calculate the percent difference between the predicted value and the
resulting average distance when shot at an angle.
% difference =
predicted rangemeasured average distance

x 100
%
predicted range

3.340 m3.423 m

x 100
3.340 m

% difference = 2.49%
2. Estimate the precision of the predicted range. How many of the final 10
shots landed within this range?
number of shots landed within the predicted range
x 100
total number of shots made

% precision =

5
x 100
10

=
% precision = 50%

Computations:
1) Time of flight =

2) Initial Velocity =

3) Time of flight with

2(1.225 m)
2y
=
g
9.8 m/s 2
horizontal distance
=
time
=

45 0

= 0.5 s
2.861 m
0.5 s

2 v 0 sin
g

= 5.722 m/s
2(5.722)sin 45
9.8

4) Predicted Range =

v 20 sin 2
g

5.722

2(2 sin 450 cos 45 0)

= 3.34 m

= 0.0826

Introduction This lab entertained the idea of projectile motion and how, at different maximum heights and velocities, an
object can fly shorter or farther distances. The point of the lab was to find the initial velocity of the projectile
launched, as well as the final distance it reached. Topics and ideas that were key to this experiment include:
normal force, air resistance, the work energy principle, the momentum priciple, and the idea of uncertainty.
Procedure The first step was to set up the launcher at an angle of 0 degrees. A ball of mass m was then loaded into the
cannon and pushed back until one click was heard. The reason behind stopping at one click, is that two or
more clicks may add too much power to the shot, sending the ball on a dangerous path of destruction. After
prepping the launcher, two meter sticks were obtained and laid flat on the ground, end to end. The meter
sticks were then kept in place by use of duct tape. Once the meter sticks were locked into place, two sheets
of paper were placed on the ground in places where the ball was thought to land after launch. Finally, the

pieces of paper were overlayed by pieces of carbon paper to allow the shots to be measured after impact.
The second part of the experiment was just a repeat of the first, except the launcher was set at an angle of
30 degrees.

Conclusion
In conclusion, an experiment like this raises many questions. A few of those questions I will attempt to
answer are, "Does the mass of the ball affect the distance the ball will travel?" and "How does uncertaintly
come into play when dealing with this experiment?"
To answer the first question, I would like to start by bringing up the idea of air resistance. Although, if you
apply the work energy principle to solve for your initial velocity, you'll see that m, which in this case
represents the mass of the ball, is part of the equation. However, if you look even further into this question,
one could certainly entertain the idea of air resistance to further explain the situation.
To begin, the formula for air resistance is,
F(air) = 1/2pAcv^2
Where,
F(air) = mass of the object x acceleration
p = The density of the fluid (air)
A = The area of the object
c = The drag co-efficient
v = The magnitude of the velocity
Thanks to this formula, it can be shown that a change in the mass of an object will effect the final distance
the projectile will reach, thanks to air resistance. However, if the mass isn't that different, for instance, a
difference of .00005, the effect of said mass would be inconsequential to the final measurement of the
projectile's distance.
The second question can be answered very quickly and simply. In this experiment, uncertainty can be
represented in both human error and rounding decimal places. The human error could be found by the ways
the measurements were taken. Either a misread of a measurement tool or misuse of a mathmatical formula
can be attributed to human error. In this case, the variables that contain uncertainty due to human error
include: the initial height and the variance on the final distance calculations. As for decimal places causing
uncertainty, a bunch of rounded numbers could cause a loss of precision, if the numbers were rounded
prematurely. A quick example will show that,
20.567 + 40.678 = 61.425
And, 21 + 41 = 62
As the list of numbers grow, the final product could wind up a lot different than if a few more decimal places
were carried into the equation. A loss of precision like that, could cause rocket ships to explode, which would
be a very bad thing.

In order to truly demonstrate energy conservation in the real world, one must take into
account losses of energy due to friction as well. Therefore, change in total energy of a
closed system is defined as the sum of the changes in kinetic and potential
energiesminusthe work done by friction, and this must equal zero. In this experiment,
thework done by friction was measured by trial and error; different height settings were
used so that as the ball(projectile) traveled through the launch track it came to a rest just
before exiting and track. At this height setting,there is no kinetic energy change, and
therefore work done by friction must equal the change in potential energy