PROJECTILE

MOTION
 Objectives: After completing this module,
you should be able to:

 Describe the motion of a projectile by

treating horizontal and vertical components
of its position and velocity.
 Solve for position, velocity or time when
given initial velocity and launch angle.
What is a Projectile?
A projectile is an object
upon which the only
force acting is gravity.
Example of Projectile
 An object dropped from rest
 An object thrown vertically upward
 An object thrown upward at an angle
to the horizontal
(provided that the influence of air
resistance is negligible)
Projectile Motion
Is the motion of an object
in an arc near the earth’s
surface under the effect of
gravity alone.
 Projectile motion is a combination of
horizontal motion and vertical motion.

 The horizontal motion of a projectile is

constant because no gravitational force
acts horizontally
 The vertical motion of a projected object
is independent of its horizontal motion.

 The motion of a projectile is determined

only by the object’s initial velocity, launch
angle and gravity.
Let's say a Wiley coyote runs off a cliff. As he
leaves the cliff he has a horizontal
velocity
 As soon as the coyote leaves the cliff he
will experience a vertical force due to
gravity
 This force will cause him to start to
accelerate in the vertical direction.
 As he falls he will be going faster and faster in
the vertical direction
The horizontal and
vertical components
of the motion of an
object going off a cliff
are separate from
each other, and can
not affect each other.
The x-component of a projectile’s motion
is there from the start, and stays the same
the entire time.

The y-component
of a projectile’s
motion doesn’t even
exist at the beginning,
but grows bigger as
the object falls
 The path of a projectile is known a trajectory
 The trajectory of a projectile in a free fall is a
parabola.
 Range is the total distance traveled by a
projectile.
Horizontally Launched Projected
Projected at an angle
 Projectile Motion Summary

Horizontal Vertical
Motion Motion
Forces No Yes

Acceleration No Yes

Velocity Constant Changing

Imagine a cannonball launched from a
cannon at three different launch angles –
30-degrees, 45-degrees, and 60-degrees.
The launch speed is held constant; only
the angle is changed and cannonballs do
not encounter a significant amount of air
resistance. How will the trajectories of
the three cannonballs compare? Which
cannonball will have the greatest range?
Which cannonball will reach the highest
peak height before falling? Which
cannonball will reach the ground first?
  If projectiles are launched at same speed,

If projectiles are launched at the same speed, but at different

angles, the height and range is of the projectile are affected.
In Conclusion
A projectile is any object upon which
the only force is gravity.

 Projectiles
travel with a parabolic
trajectory due to the influence of
gravity.
 There are no horizontal forces acting
upon projectiles and thus no horizontal
acceleration.

 The horizontal velocity of a projectile is

constant. There is a vertical acceleration
caused by gravity (9.8 m/s).

 The horizontal motion of a projectile is

independent of its vertical motion
Test your knowledge

Suppose a snowmobile is equipped with a

flare launcher which is capable of launching
a sphere vertically. If the snowmobile is in
motion and launches the flare and maintains
a constant horizontal velocity after the
launch, then where will the flare land
(neglect air resistance)?
Test your knowledge

Suppose an airplane drops a flare while it

is moving at constant horizontal speed at
an elevated height. Assuming that air
resistance is negligible, where will the flare
land relative to the plane?
A. Directly below the plane.
B. Below the plane and ahead of it.
C. Below plane and behind it.
RELATIONS INVOLVED
The horizontal and vertical components of
displacement at any time t are given by:

x  voxt y  voyt  gt
1
2
2

The horizontal and vertical components

of velocity at any time t are given by:

vx  vox ; v y  voy  gt
PROJECTED AT AN ANGLE
Total time of flight:

2𝑣0 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ
𝑡=
𝑔

Half-time of flight:

𝑣0 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ
𝑡1/2 =
𝑔
Range of Fall
𝑣02 𝑠𝑖𝑛2θ
𝑅=
𝑔

Maximum Height:

𝑣02 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 θ
𝐻=
2𝑔
Derivation:
 Use the horizontal direction to determine
range as a function of time
Derivation:
 Use the vertical direction to determine
the time in the air.
Derivation
 Combining the two equations:
Example 1
A baseball is hit with a horizontal speed of
25 m/s. What is its position and velocity
after 2 s?

x
25 m/s y
Example 1

x  voxt  (25 m/s)(2 s)

y  gt  (9.8 m/s )(2 s)

1
2
2 1
2
2 2

vx  vox  (25 m/s)

vy  voy  at  0  (9.8 m/s2 )(2 s)

Example 2
A ball rolls off the top of a table 1.2 m high
and lands on the floor at a horizontal
distance of 2 m. What was the velocity as it
left the table?

1.2 m
2m
Example 2
x = voxt

y = voyt + ½ayt2

First find t from y equation and solve for v

ANSWERS:

t = 0.495 s

v = 4.04 m/s
Example 3
Find the “hang time” for the football whose
initial velocity is 25 m/s, 600.

Solve for the time of flight

ANS: t = 4.42 s
 Seatwork
1. What are maximum height, range and
time of flight of a projectile if vo = 28 m/s at
300?

voy 28 m/s

30o
vox
Seatwork
2. A ball has an initial velocity of 160 ft/s at
an angle of 30o with horizontal. Find its
position and velocity after 2 s and after 4 s.
Seatwork No. 2
vox  (160 ft/s) cos 300  139 ft/s

voy  (160 ft/s)sin 30  80.0 ft/s

0

Since vx is constant, the horizontal displacements

after 2 and 4 seconds are:
x  voxt  (139 ft/s)(2 s)

x  voxt  (139 ft/s)(4 s)

x2 = 277 ft x4 = 554 ft
 Seatwork No. 2
 The vertical displacement as function of
time:
y  voyt  gt  (80 ft/s)t  (32 ft/s )t
1
2
2 1
2
2 2

y2  96 ft y4  16 ft
 Find velocity component
vx  139 ft/s

vy  voy  gt; where g  32 ft/s 2

Seatwork No. 2

v2y = 16.0 ft/s v4y = -48.0 ft/s

At 2 s: v2x = 139 ft/s; v2y = + 16.0 ft/s

At 4 s: v4x = 139 ft/s; v4y = - 48.0 ft/s

Seatwork No. 2
The displacement R2,q is found from the x2 and
y2 component displacements.

R2 = 293 ft q2 = 19.10

Similarly, displacement R4,q is found from the

x4 and y4 component displacements.

R4 = 558 ft q4 = 6.590
Seatwork No. 2
Find the velocity after 2 s from the components
vx and vy.

v2 = 140 ft/s q2 = 6.560

Find the velocity after 4 s from the components

v4x and v4y.

v4 = 146 ft/s q2 = 341.70

end