Lecture 7 Objectives: Projectile motion

Solve problems involving the motion of a

projectile in 2D

In the presence of air resistance, the path of a high-speed projectile falls

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below the idealized parabola and follows the solid curve.
Parallel and perpendicular components
of acceleration
Parallel

Acceleration

Velocity Perpendicular

Parallel Perpendicular
Parallel to , path Perpendicular to ,
Same direction
Change in particles No change in particles
speed (magnitude) speed (magnitude)
No change in direction Change in direction 2
A particle moves along a path as shown: BD straight line path
Sketch the acceleration vectors a at A, C and E.

Particle moves Particle moves Particle moves

with a constant with steadily with steadily
speed increasing speed decreasing speed

Acceleration has two components: and :to

The component of of perpendicular to the path is related to the
change in direction of and the and parallel to the path is related
to the change in the magnitude of . 3
A sled travels over the crest of a snow-covered hill. The sled
slows down as it climbs up one side of the hill and gains speed
as it descends on the other side. Which of the vectors (1
through 9) in the figure shows the direction of the sleds
acceleration at the crest?

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The component of perpendicular to the path is related to the change in
direction of and the component of parallel to the path is related to the
change in the magnitude of .
When the speed is increasing, is in the direction of and when the speed is
decreasing, is opposite to the direction of .
When is constant, = and when the path is a straight line = . is
toward the center of the curvature of the path

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Projectile motion is a
COMBINATION of constant
horizontal motion (ax = 0) and
accelerating free fall (ay = g)
Half, full projectile
Time
Speed at the max. height
But these x and y components
are independent of each other!
We can solve motion in x & y
independently

Kinematic equations for projectile motion

Constant velocity (ax = 0) Constant acceleration (ay = g)
=

=
= +

= + =

+
= +

Velocity at the highest point

Velocity is NOT zero at the top of the flight.

= + 0
and =
Question: At what point in its path does a projectile have
minimum speed? 7
Kinematics of a projectile motion

0 =


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Trajectory is the path followed by the projectile.

Range is the horizontal distance
=
traveled (same elevation)
(maximum range, given speed of a full projectile)
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Sample Problem: Young and Freedman, 3.9
A physics book slides off a horizontal tabletop with a speed of
1.10 m/s. It strikes the floor in 0.350 s. Ignore air resistance.
a) What is the height of the tabletop above the floor?
b) What is the horizontal distance from the edge of the table
to the point where the book strikes the floor?
Given: v0x=1.10 m/s v0y = 0 (slides off horizontally)
y0 = 0 x0 = 0
t = 0.35s

=
= +

= + =

+
= +
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Given: v0x=1.10 m/s v0y = 0
y0 = 0 x0 = 0
t = 0.35s

a) What is the height of the tabletop above the floor?

= +

1 9.81 2
=0+0 0.35 = . .
2 2

b) What is the horizontal distance from the edge of the table to

the point where the book strikes the floor?

= +
= 0 + 1.10/ 0.35 = .
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Sample Problem: A batter hits the baseball so that it leaves
the bat v0 = 37.0m/s at an angle of 53.1o.
(a) Find the position of the ball, the magnitude and direction
of its velocity at t = 2.00s.
(b) Find the time when the ball reaches the highest point of
its flight and find its height at this point.
(c) Find the horizontal range R that is the horizontal
distance form the starting point to where the ball hits the
ground.

Given:
v0 = 37.0m/s
0= 53.1o

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Kinematic equations for projectile motion

Constant velocity (a = 0) Constant acceleration (a = g)

=
=

= + = +

=

+
= +

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(a)The initial components of the velocity is*:

Substituting for t = 2.00s to get x, y, vx and vy:

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*this is useful
Use vx and vy to the the magnitude and direction
of velocity:

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(b)At the highest point; vy = 0, to get time when the ball
is in the highest point is:

Knowing that t = 3.02s at the highest point, we

substitute this to y to get the maximum height h:

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(c) To get horizontal range, we solve for time t (t2) when y = 0 (in
the ground), this will yield to a quadratic equation:

2 4
=
2

Solving for the roots of the equation, time t becomes:

Choosing time t = 6.04s, then substituting to x:

Note: You will get the same if you use: =

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(since the ball undergoes a full projectile)
Sample Problem: Univ. Physics
You toss a ball from you window 8.0m above the ground. When
the ball leaves your hand, it is moving at 10.0m/s at an angle 20o
below horizontal. How far horizontally from your window will the
ball hit the ground? Ignore air resistance.
Given: y = - 8.0m v0 = 10.0m/s
0 = 20o x0 = 0

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Kinematic equations for projectile motion

Constant velocity (ax = 0) Constant acceleration (ay = g)

=
=

= + = +

=

+
= +

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Given: y = - 8.0m v0 = 10.0m/s
0 = 20o x0 = 0
When the ball hit the ground at y = -8m: y0 = 0.
Calculate what is the time where y0 = 0? Then solve for x in
that time t.

= + Quadratic equation:

1 2 2 + + = 0
= 0 + (00)
2 2 4
=
1 2 2
0 0 + = 0
2
Solving for t, the roots of this quadratic equation are:

00 00 4 2
2
=
2
2 20
 TIP: If you are solving a
Given: y = - 8.0m v0 = 10.0m/s half projectile; roots of t
0 = 20o x0 = 0 will be positive and
negative (choose t>0)

simplifying: If you are solving a full

projectile, roots of t are
00 00 2 2
= both positive located at
equal vertical position

substituting the known values:

(10.0m/s)sin(20) 10/)sin(20 2 2(9.81/2)(8.0)
=
9.81/2
= 1.7 0.98
Ignore time (t<0), solve for x with t = 0.98s
= 0 + 0
= 0 + 00 = 0 + (10.0/)cos(20)(0.98)
= .
Summary: Kinematic equations for projectile motion
Constant velocity (ax = 0) Constant acceleration (ay = -g)

= =

= +
= +
What are the tricks in solving problems involving projectile motion?
Y-component of velocity at same height level (up or down)
X component of velocity =
Time of ascend and time of descend
Velocity at maximum height
Acceleration (x and y-component) +
= +

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Seatwork: Multiple choice
1) An ultra-light aircraft traveling north at 40 km/h in a 30-
km/h crosswind (at right angles) has a groundspeed of:
a.30 km/h. b.40 km/h. c.50 km/h. d.60 km/h.
2) When no air resistance acts on a projectile, its horizontal
acceleration is:
a. g b. at right angles to g c. upward g d. zero.

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 x (vav x )(t ) (3.80m / s )(12.0 s ) 45.6m
y (vav y )(t ) (4.90m / s )(12.0 s ) 58.8m

r x 2 y 2 (45.6m) 2 (58.8m) 2 74.4m

vav vav x 2 vav y 2 (3.80m / s ) 2 (4.90m / s ) 2 6.20m / s

(2 ) (1 ) 3.80/ 0
= = = 0.317m/ 2
2 1 12.0 0

(2 ) (1 ) 4.90/ 0
= = = 0.408m/ 2
2 1 12.0 0

aav aav x 2 aav y 2 0.517 m / s 2

Seatwork Feb 3, 2016
1. Blah?
- solve problems in your
notebooks 2. Blah blah!
- write the answers only in
3. Blah blah blah!
your bluebook
- indicate the date 4. Blah blah blah blah!

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1) A projectile is launched at a 30 angle above the horizontal.
Where will be the projectiles acceleration is greatest?
a. The acceleration is zero at all points along the trajectory
b. At the highest point of the trajectory
c. At a point between the highest point of the trajectory and
where it hits the ground
d. The acceleration is the same and non-zero at all points along
the trajectory
2) A projectile was fired 60 above the horizontal with an initial
speed of 10 m/s. At the highest point of its trajectory, what is the
projectiles velocity?
3)Which of the ff. DO NOT possibly describe a projectile motion?

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(a) (b) (c)
4: solve for the coins time of travel;
5: solve the height of the shelf
Hint: solve for t
using = +

Then solve for y with

t using:

= +

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