LABORATORY REPORT

Experiment 4

Projectile Motion

Name: Raphael Fernando T. Adolfo CYS: MEB 31 Grade:

Instructor: Engr. Jennifer B. Igat Date Submitted: 9-20-2016

ABSTRACT:

Projectile motion is an object projected at an angle where the only significant force acting on the object is gravity. The
objective of this experiment was to find how the range of a projectile depends on the angle at which it is launched and to
determine the angle that gives the greatest range. In this experiment we have to prepare a projectile launcher setup and
launch a plastic ball by inserting it into the projectile launcher by using the ramrod. The ball goes through to photogate
heads and lands on our time of flight accessory to obtain results; Do this for 5 trials on different angles 15 0, 300, 450, 600,
750. The distance traveled in the horizontal direction was measured for multiple firings of each trial, and the values were
averaged. When the initial velocity for each of these averages was calculated it was proved that the initial velocity was
relatively constant. Our angle with the maximum range is 45 0.

MATERIALS USED:

 Xplorer GLX

 Projectile Launcher

 Projectile Ball

 Photogate Port

 Photogate Head

 Photogate Mounting Bracket

 Time of Flight Accessory

 Universal Table Clamp

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION:

A projectile is an object which upon which the only force of influence is the force of gravity. As a projectile moves through
the air, its trajectory is effected by the force of gravity; air resistance is assumed to have a negligible effect upon the
motion. Because gravity is the only force, the acceleration of a projectile is the acceleration of gravity - 9.8 m/s/s, down.
As such, projectiles travel along their trajectory with a constant horizontal velocity and a changing vertical velocity. The
vertical velocity changes by -9.8 m/s each second. (Here the - sign indicates that an upward velocity value would be
decreasing and a downward velocity value would be increasing.). A projectile has a motion which is both horizontal and
vertical at the same time. These two components of motion can be described by kinematic equations. Since perpendicular
components of motion are independent of each other, any motion in the horizontal direction is unaffected by a motion in a
vertical direction (and vice versa).

Our analyzation and interpretations based on the table is as follows: (1.) it shows that as the angle increases the range
also increases but if the angle is above 500 the range decreases. It shows that it does not necessarily mean that as the
angle increases the range automatically increases there is only a specific range of angle (5 0 to 500) that the range
increases as the angle increases. (2.) Based on our data when we computed the initial velocity for each of the specific
angle it was proved that the initial velocity was relatively constant. The average of all the initial speed is more or less 4.23
m/s.

DATA AND RESULTS:

Angle (degrees) Initial Speed, Vo Time of Flight, tT Range (m) Percentage

R1 R2
(m/s) (sec) Difference
15 4.34 0.23 0.964 0.961 0.31%
30 4.20 0.43 1.564 1.559 0.32%
45 4.18 0.61 1.804 1.782 1.12%
60 4.22 0.75 1.580 1.574 0.38%
75 4.24 0.85 0.933 0.917 1.73%

Angle with maximum range = 450

COMPUTATIONS: Formulas:
R1 = Vo cos θ tT For 600:

R1 = (4.22) cos600 (0.75) = 1.58

v 20 sin2 θ
R2 =
g R2 = (4.22)2 sin (2 x 600) = 1.57

9.8
% difference =
|R1−R 2| x100
R ave % difference = I 1.58 - 1.57 I x100 = 0.38%

For 450: 1.58

R1 = (4.18) cos450 (0.61) = 1.80 For 750:

R2 = (4.18)2 sin (2 x 450) = 1.78 R1 = (4.24) cos750 (0.85) = 0.93

9.8 R2 = (4.24)2 sin (2 x 750) = 0.92

9.8
% difference = I 1.80 - 1.78 I x100 = 1.12 %
% difference = I 0.93 – 0.92 I x100 = 1.73%
1.79
0.93
QUESTIONS AND APPLICATIONS:

v 20 sin2 θ
1. Derive the equation R = .
g

2. Are there any two angles which will give the same range? If so, what are they? If not, why not?

Two launch angles that add to 90° will result in the same range when launched at the same speed. For example in the
given table above the range is the same for a 15° and a 75° angle. The range is also the same for a 30° and a 60° launch
angle, and the range is the same for a 40° and a 50°. What do all these angles have in common? The group of two angles
with the same range always add up to 90°.

3. Plot a graph of launch angle vs range. What is the best launch angle for maximum range?

The peak height of a projectile is determined by the initial value of the vertical velocity component. The greater the initial
value of vy, the higher that a projectile will rise. The projectile launched at 60-degrees has the greatest v y, and as such the
greatest peak height. The "hang time" of a projectile is also determined by the initial value of the vertical velocity
component. The smaller the initial value of vy, the shorter the hang time. The projectile launched at 30-degrees has the
smallest vy, and as such the shortest hang time. The range of a projectile is determined by two parameters - the initial
value of the horizontal velocity component and the hang time of the projectile. As you can see from the picture, the
projectile launched at 60-degrees has the greatest hang time; yet its range is limited by the fact that the v x is the smallest
of all three angles. The projectile launched at 30-degrees has the greatest v x of all three launch angles; yet its range is
limited by the fact that the hang time is so short. The projectile launched at 45-degree does not win in either category, yet
the fact that it is able to place a strong showing in each category contributes to its ability to achieve the greatest range.