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Projectile Motion
Ms. Mikaela Irene Fudolig Physics 71

What is a projectile?
A projectile is any body that is given an initial velocity (may be zero) and then follows a path determined entirely by the effects of gravitational acceleration and air resistance.
This path is called the projectiles trajectory.

For now, we will neglect air resistance.

Projectile Motion in 2D
Suppose that at any time t, we can find the particle at the point (x(t),y(t))
+y
(x(t),y(t))

+x

Projectile Motion in 2D
Then, its position vector is given by:
+y

r (t ) x(t )i y (t ) j
(x(t),y(t))

+x

Projectile Motion in 2D
Since the i and j components are independent, its velocity vector is given by:
+y

v (t ) vx (t )i vy (t ) j
(x(t),y(t))

+x

Projectile Motion in 2D
So, its acceleration vector is given by:
+y

a(t ) ax (t )i ay (t ) j
(x(t),y(t))

+x

Projectile Motion in 2D
The i and j components, being independent, are obtained separately from two different sets of kinematic equations:
vx v0 x ax t 1 2 x x0 v0 x t ax t 2 vx 2 v0 x 2 2ax x x vx v0 x t 2

v y v0 y a y t 1 2 y y0 v0 y t a y t 2 v y 2 v0 y 2 2a y y y v y v0 y t 2

Projectile Motion in 2D

2D motion can be treated as motion in the x-direction and motion in the y- direction occurring SIMULTANEOUSLY!

Projectile Motion in 2D
Recall: a projectile is only affected by gravity (and air resistance, which we neglect). What is the projectiles acceleration?

m a 9.81 2 j gj s

Projectile Motion in 2D
Therefore:

ax 0 ay g

Idea of Projectile Motion

Movement in the x- and y-directions are TOTALLY INDEPENDENT of each other!

a=-9.81m/s2
unequally spaced

Idea of Projectile Motion

Movement in the x- and y-directions are TOTALLY INDEPENDENT of each other!

equally spaced

not accelerating (a=0)

Idea of Projectile Motion

Movement in the x- and y-directions are TOTALLY INDEPENDENT of each other!

equally spaced unequally spaced

Idea of Projectile Motion

Movement in the x- and y-directions are TOTALLY INDEPENDENT of each other!

Idea of Projectile Motion

Motion of BLUE ball + Motion of YELLOW ball

Motion of RED ball

y-motion
x-motion gravity

v0y
v0x

Example 1a: Comparison of Final Velocities

Ball A, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity Ball B, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity

vA0 v0 y j

vB0 v0 xi v0 y j

and hits the ground tA seconds later, with a velocity

and hits the ground tB seconds later, with a velocity

vA vAxi vAy j

vB vBxi vBy j

Compare vAy and vBy.

Example 1a: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0

vA0 v0 y j vB0 v0 xi v0 y j vA vAxi vAy j vB vBxi vBy j

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

Example 1a: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0

vA0 v0 y j vB0 v0 xi v0 y j vA vAxi vAy j vB vBxi vBy j

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

Example 1a: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0

vA0 v0 y j vB0 v0 xi v0 y j
|vAy|=|vBy|

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

vA vAxi vAy j vB vBxi vBy j

Example 1b: Comparison of Final Velocities

Ball A, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity Ball B, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity

vA0 v0 y j

vB0 v0 xi v0 y j

and hits the ground tA seconds later, with a velocity

and hits the ground tB seconds later, with a velocity

vA vAxi vAy j

vB vBxi vBy j

Compare vAx and vBx.

Example 1b: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0 vx

vA0 v0 y j vB0 v0 xi v0 y j vA vAxi vAy j vB vBxi vBy j

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

Example 1b: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0 vx

vA0 v0 y j vB0 v0 xi v0 y j vA vAxi vAy j vB vBxi vBy j

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

Example 1b: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0 vx=v0x

vA0 v0 y j vB0 v0 xi v0 y j

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

vA vAxi vAy j vB vBxi vBy j

Example 1b: Comparison of Final Velocities

v0x y=1m v0y v0y vB0 vx=v0x

vAx=0
vBx= v0x>vAx

y=0

vA t=tA

vB t=tB

Conceptual Exercise 1
Ball A, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity Ball B, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity

vA0 v0 y j

vB0 v0 xi v0 y j

and hits the ground tA seconds later, with a velocity

and hits the ground tB seconds later, with a velocity

vA vAxi vAy j

vB vBxi vBy j

Which ball hits the ground earlier?

The Basic Idea

Treat motion in the xdirection and motion in the y- direction as INDEPENDENT and SIMULTANEOUS!

Conceptual Exercise 2
Ball A, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity Ball B, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown upwards with an initial velocity

vA0 v0 y j

vB0 v0 xi v0 y j

and hits the ground tA seconds later, with a velocity

and hits the ground tB seconds later, with a velocity

vA vAxi vAy j

vB vBxi vBy j

Which ball hits the ground earlier?

Conceptual Exercise 3
Ball A, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown downwards with an initial velocity Ball B, initially 1m above the ground, is thrown upwards with an initial velocity

vA0 v0 y j

vB0 v0 xi v0 y j

and hits the ground tA seconds later, with a velocity

and hits the ground tB seconds later, with a velocity

vA vAxi vAy j

vB vBxi vBy j

Compare vAy and vBy.

Conceptual Exercise 4
An object is thrown with an initial speed 1m/s at an angle 30 above the horizontal.
What is the objects speed at the top of its flight?

The Basic Idea

Treat motion in the xdirection and motion in the y- direction as INDEPENDENT and SIMULTANEOUS!

Some extra terms

The range is the total horizontal displacement of the projectile. The maximum height is the maximum elevation that the object attains while in flight.

Homework (Reading Assignment)

Show that if the INITIAL and FINAL elevations are the SAME, then the maximum range occurs when the projectile is thrown at an angle of 45 degrees above the horizontal.

Prove:
That the trajectory of a projectile moving under the sole influence of gravity is a PARABOLA.
HINT: Show that the y(x) is a parabola.

Numerical Example 1
An object is thrown with a speed 1m/s at an angle 30 above the horizontal.
What is the horizontal component of the initial velocity? What is the vertical component of the initial velocity?

Numerical Example 1
An object is thrown with a speed 1m/s at an angle 30 above the horizontal. If the initial and final elevations are the same:
What is the total time of flight? What is the range of the projectile? What is the maximum height reached by the projectile? Draw the x vs. t, vx vs. t, ax vs. t, y vs. t, vy vs. t, and ay vs. t diagrams.

Numerical example 2
A daring 510-N swimmer dives off a cliff with a running horizontal leap. What must her minimum speed be just as she leaves the top of the cliff so that she will miss the ledge at the bottom, which is 1.75m wide and 9.00m below the top of the cliff?

Numerical Example 3
A ball is thrown at an angle 15 at some height h above the ground. It is observed that the ball landed 30 m away from the building. If it took the ball 5.0s to land on the ground, what is the height h?