Analysis

Projectile motion is a special case of two-dimensional motion. A projectile is

an object upon which the only force acting is gravity. The motion of the object is
called the projectile motion. A projectile is a particle that moves in a vertical plane
with some initial velocity but its acceleration is always free-fall acceleration,
which the acceleration due to gravity. It refers to any object thrown, launched or
otherwise projected so that once released, if air resistance is neglected, its path is
affected only by the Earths gravity. An object dropped from rest is a projectile,
provided that the influence of air resistance is negligible. An object that is thrown
vertically upward is also a projectile, provided that the influence of air resistance is
negligible. And an object which is thrown upward at an angle to the horizontal is
also a projectile. A projectile is any object that once projected or dropped continues
in motion by its own inertia and is influenced only by the downward force of
gravity.
A projectile has a single force that acts upon it - the force of gravity. If there
were any other force acting upon an object, then that object would not be a
projectile. Thus, the free-body diagram of a projectile would show a single force
acting downwards and labeled force of gravity. You can see in figure 4, the
different types of projectiles.
The path of motion of the projectile is called the trajectory which is a
parabolic curve. Once the projectile is launched, the only force affecting its motion
would be gravity. Since gravity acts along the y-axis, there is no force on the
projectile along the x-axis. In figure 1 you can see the different types of projectiles.

Figure 1
In the experiment, we will able to analyze the motion of a projectile.
Specially, we will be able to explain the effects of variable launch angles and initial
speeds to the positions of the projectile along the x-axis and y-axis. To simplify, we
will be able to resolve the position, velocity, and acceleration into horizontal and
vertical components, because these components are perpendicular, meaning they
are independent to each other
The objectives of the experiment is to analyze the motion of a projectile and
to compute ranges if projectile launch at different angles particularly, 60 and 30
degrees. The materials of the experiment are projectile launcher, metal ball (25 mm
in diameter), meter stick, plumb line, iron stand clamp, target board, bond paper,
and carbon paper. The projectile launcher can be very dangerous because if the
projectile launcher loaded with metal ball is fired to a person or an object, it may
hurt the person or it may destroy things, so for safety purposes, we only fired the
projectile launcher after the area that it may cover is cleared.
From Newtons second law of motion, we can say that the vertical motion of
the projectile is accelerated due to gravity. The motion of the projectile is simply
that of a body of free fall. The horizontal motion, in the absence of force along the
x-axis, is uniform and with constant velocity.

In the previous experiment, we learned that there are three kinematic

equations that are also applicable in two-dimensional motion.
The first equation is the change in velocity is equal to the integral of the
acceleration with respect to time.
v =v 0 +at

The second equation is the change in position is equal to the integral of velocity
with respect to time.
1 2
x=x 0+ v 0 t + a t
2

The third equation is the change in velocity is equal to the integral of acceleration
with respect to position.
v 2=v 02 +2 a( xx 0 )

Using these three equations, we can derive the equations for projectile
motion, as shown in Table 1. In the next part, the derivation of equations for
projectile motion will also be discussed.

acceleration
velocity
position

Table 1. The equations for Projectile Motion

x-axis
y-axis
0
a=-9.8m/s2
vx=v0cos
vy=v0sin
x=x0+ v0cost
y=y0+ v0sint+1/2(gt2)

The path of a projectile that is launched at x0=0 and y0=0, with an initial
velocity v0.The initial velocity and the velocities at various points along its path are
shown, along with their components. Note that the horizontal velocity component
remains constant but the vertical velocity component changes continuously. The

initial velocity can be resolved into the x and y components.

The horizontal velocity:
v 0 x =v 0 cos

The vertical velocity:

v 0 y =v 0 sin

The range R is the horizontal distance the projectile has traveled when it
returns to its launch height. As shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2

The acceleration along the x-axis is zero, the horizontal velocity is constant
all throughout the motion. Along the y-axis, the velocity changes because of the
acceleration due to gravity. The velocity of the projectile at any given time is given
by

v fy=v 0 y +

after substituting t, we get

v fy= v 0 y 2+2 gy

where t is the time travelled and y is the vertical distance travelled.

In horizontal motion, there is no acceleration in the horizontal direction. The
horizontal component vx of the projectiles velocity remains unchanged from its
initial value v0x throughout the motion. At any time t, the projectiles horizontal
displacement x - x0 from an initial position x0 can be derive by substituting
v0 cos to v0x, the equation is given by

x=v 0 cos t

If the projectile starts and ends along the same vertical level, the horizontal
distance traveled called the range R, can be computed from the equation
v02 sin 2
R=
g

For the vertical distance travelled at any given time, the following equation
can be use
1
y=v 0 sin t + g t 2
2

The maximum vertical distance reached by the projectile can be computed

from the equation
(v 0 sin)2
y max =
2g

The experiment is divided into three parts. The first part is getting the initial
velocity of the projectile. The second part is determining the range of the
projectile. The third part is determining the maximum height of the projectile.
The first part of the experiment is getting the initial velocity of the projectile.
First we set-up the materials carefully. The launcher is attached to the iron stand.
We placed the launcher setup in a flat surface and we set the angle indicator to 0
degrees so that the launcher us in horizontal position. Like Ive said earlier, the
launchers path should be cleared to avoid damages and injuries. Then we measured
the vertical distance from the floor to the crosshairs on the side of the launcher. We
then place the metal ball in the launcher and used a ramrod to set into long-range
setting. Then we fired a test trial so that we can know where we can place the bond
paper and carbon paper. After setting-up all the required materials, we launched the
metal ball, and doing it with 5 trials and we measure the horizontal distance in
meters. The set-up is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

The results of the first part of the experiment

are shown in Table 2. We have measure that the
vertical distance is equal to 1.07 m. We have also
computed the time of travel t which is equal to
Table 2. Getting the Initial Velocity of the Projectile
Vertical distance, y=0.3 m
time of travel, t=0.25 s
Trial
Horizontal distance,
Initial velocity, v o
x

1
2
3
4
5

1.89 m
1.965 m
1.897 m
1.925 m
1.964 m
Average = 4.1263 m/s

4.0445 m/s
4.2050 m/s
4.0595 m/s
4.1194 m/s
4.203 m/s

0.4673 s using the formula

t=

2y
g we also computed the initial velocity v0 of each trial, and we get the

average initial velocity which is 4.1263 m/s using the formula

v0 =

x
t

The second part of the experiment is determining the range of the projectile.
To begin this part we set-up the launcher near the edge of the table. We then set the
angle at 30 in the first 5 trials and then switches it to 60 in the next 5 trials. Like
Ive said earlier, the launchers path should be cleared to avoid damages and
injuries. We then place the metal ball in the launcher and used a ramrod to set into
long-range setting. Then we fired a test trial so
that we can know where we can place the
bond paper and carbon paper. After
setting-up all the required materials, we
launched the metal ball, and doing it with
5 trials with the angle set to 30 and then
5 trials with the angle set to 60, where in
each trial we measure the range in meters.
The set-up is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4
The result in each trial in 30 and 60
in which we measure the experimental range value is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

The results of the second part

of the experiment is shown in
Table 3. From the previous part we determined the average initial velocity which is
4.1263 m/s and we used that value to compute the computed value of range using
the formula
R=

v02 sin 2
In the first 5 trials which is set to 30, we determined the computed
g

range value which is equal to 1.5046 m.

In the next 5 trials which is set to 60, determined the computed range value which
is equal to 1.5046 m.
As you can see, the value for the range in 30 and 60 angles are equal, this is
because sin2(30) and sin2(60) have the same value.
We have also computed the percentage difference in the 10 trials using the formula
|difference of the two values|

percent difference=

average of the two values

Table 3. Determining the Range of the Projectile

m
Average initial velocity, V o=4.1263 s
launchangle=30

launchangle=60

Range ( computed value )=1.5046 m

Range ( computed value )=1.5046 m

Trial
1
2
3
4
5

RExpValue

PERCENTAGE

RExpValue

PERCENTAGE

DIFFERENCE
DIFFERENCE
2.022 m
29.34 %
2.008 m
28.66 %
1.995 m
28.03 %
2.038 m
30.11 %
2m
28.27 %
2.06 m
31.16 %
1.975 m
27.04 %
2.022 m
29.34 %
1.00 m
27.78 %
2.056 m
30.97 %
In the third part of the experiment is determining the maximum height of the

projectile. We set-up the launcher and set it to 30 and 60 with each having 5
trials. We placed the target board and made a trial test to ensure that the metal ball
will hit the target board. Like Ive said earlier, the launchers path should be cleared
to avoid damages and injuries. We then cover the target board with bond paper and
carbon paper. After setting up all the required things we did 5 trials on 30 and 5
trials on 60 angle of the launcher. The set-up is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

The result in each trial in 30

and 60 in which we measure the experimental
range value is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6

Table 4. Determining the Maximum Height of the Projectile

m
V
=4.1263
o
Average initial velocity,
s
launch angle=30 maximum vertical

distance ( computed value )

launchangle=60

maximum vertical distance

( computed value )

Y max =0.2172

Y max =0.6515 m

Trial

1
2
3
4
5

Ymax

Percentage

Ymax

Percentage

experimenta

Difference

experimental

Difference

l value
value
0.314 m
36.45 %
0.909 m
33.00 %
0.315 m
36.75 %
0.92 m
34.17 %
0.326 m
40.06 %
0.923 m
34.49 %
0.355 m
48.16 %
0.926 m
34.80 %
0.340 m
44.08 %
0.929 m
35.12 %
The results of the third part of the experiment is shown in Table 4. We have

determined in the first part of the experiment that the average initial velocity is
4.1263 m/s and we used it to solve the computed maximum vertical distance for
the 30 and 60 angle of the launcher. To compute the maximum vertical distance
we use the formula
(v 0 sin)2
y max =
In the launch angle of 30, the computed maximum vertical
2g

distance is 0.2172 m.
In the launch angle of 60, the computed maximum vertical distance is 0.6515 m.

We have also computed the percentage difference in the 10 trials using the formula
|difference of the two values|

percent difference=

average of the two values

GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. From the result of your experiment, how would you compare the range of the
projectile launched at 30 degrees to the one launched at 60 degrees? Is this
consistent with the theory? Defend your answer.
Based on the results of the experiment, the range of the projectile launched at 30
degrees is almost the same with the projectile launched at 60 degrees. It is
consistent with the theory because force acting on y-axis is independent from the
force acting on x-axis. The formula of range is equal to the square of initial
velocity multiplied by the sine function of twice the angle all over gravity, but sin
2(30) is

3
2

3
and sin 2(60) is also 2 , so this means that the computed range

of the projectile launched at 30 and the projectile launch at 60 is always equal.

The reason is because 30 and 60 are complementary angles.
2. From the results of your experiment, how would you compare the maximum
vertical distance reached by the projectile launched at 30 degrees to the one
launched at 60 degrees? Is this consistent with the theory?
Base on the results of the experiment, the projectile launched at 60 has higher
maximum vertical distance compared to the projectile launched at 30. The
experimental maximum vertical distance show that the maximum vertical distance
compared to the projectile launched at 30 is almost three times the maximum
vertical distance compared to the projectile launched at 60. This is consistent with

the theory because we are comparing the maximum height of a projectile launched
at two complementary angles, therefore it would give different values because in
the formula, we use sin , and we know that sin 30 and sin 60 have different
values, therefore the two launch angles will give different maximum vertical
distance.
3. List down the possible sources of errors in this experiment.
One possible error of this experiment is the air resistance because we didnt consider its
effect on the projectile. Another error is the accurate measurements and also the
accurate setting of angles.