Skateboard Parabola Project

Team Rayyanasaurus
Maddie Johnson
Celia Greene
Nir Maoz
Heryang Lee
Will Nickerson

video link: http://www.vimeo.com/8528638

Goals

Photo Credit to
Flickr.com

1. Find the equation for an object moving in a parabolic

motion.

2. Find and solve the equation of the parabola in 3 formats:

Vertex form, Intercept form, & the Standard form

3. Graph the parabola of the moving object.

Project Description
We chose to videotape Augie performing a trick on a
skateboard for this project. We used our new algebraic
knowledge to find the equation and graph the parabolic motion of
the skateboard.
Using our measurements, we found the distance between the
beginning and ending points of the skateboard’s motion and their
heights, the vertex of the parabola formed by the motion, the
parabola’s roots, the time it took for the skateboard to reach its
maximum height, the total time for the motion to occur, and more.

In combining these measurements with our newfound

knowledge, we were also able to show the equation of the
parabola in three forms: standard form, vertex form, and intercept
form.
Solving the Equation
Using our known measurements we know that :

k (the max. height of the parabola) = 6.17 ft

(x, y) ⇠ the initial starting point of the motion = (0 ft, 5 ft)
root₁ or x₁(the landing point) =10 ft 5 in (≈ 10.42)
 continued..

1. We plug in the values to:

y - k = a ( x - h )²
5 - 6.17 = a ( 0 - h )²
to get: a = - 1.17 / h²

2. Substitute ↑ into the eq :

0 - 6.17 = (-1.17 / h² ) ( 10.42 - h )²
to get the ax² + bx + c = 0 form: 0 = 5h² + 24.3828h - 127.0344
3. Find h (the x value of the vertex) using the quadratic formula:
0 = 5h² + 24.3828h - 127.0344
⇩

to get: h = 3.161003434
now we know that the vertex: ( - 3.16, 6.17 )
a = - 0.12

4. Using ↑ we can find root₂ (the other x-intercept) by plugging in

the numbers:
(10.42) + x₂ / 2 = 3.1610
x₂ = - 4.097993132
The Equations
1. Vertex Form: y - k = a (x - h)²

y - 6.17 = -0.12 ( x - 3.16 )²

2. Intercept Form: y = a (x - p) (x - q); p & q are the roots

y = -0.12 (x + 4.10) (x - 10.42)

3. Standard Form: y = ax² + bx + c

y = -0.12x² + 0.76x + 4.97

discriminant= b² − 4ac; D= 3135.21

Therefore, the parabola has 2 unequal, real roots.
The Physics of the Projectile Motion
As informed in the video

Approximate measure of initial angle: 28 degrees

The total time for the motion can be found using:

Vf² = Viy² + 2ad
Vf = 9.7346 m/s
⇩ Substitute into..
Vfy = Viytat
T≈ 0.22s

And using the video, we found that it took ≈0.09 seconds

for the object to reach its maximum height
Velocity
Dx = Vxt Vy / Vx = tan28 Vy / V→ = cos28
degree of the
angle: 28 Vy = 14.3136 m/s(tan28) Vx = V→ (cos 28)
3.149 m = (V) .22s
14.3136 m/s
Vy = 7.610 m/s
Vx= 14.3136 m/s ---------------- = V→
cos 28

V→ = 16.211 m/s
Error Analysis

Obviously our data cannot be considered completely

accurate, which is partly due to human error.
Because of our crude measuring instrumentation, an error
could have easily been made, and this error would be
propagated throughout all of the calculations it was involved
in. Other possible sources of error include uneven ground and
an imperfect form of parabolic motion.
Project Reflection

Through this project, we all have learned a great deal. We

were able to apply our algebraic knowledge to a real-life
situation, learn how to better work as a group, improve our
technological skills, and to bond as a team. Overall, this project
has been a wonderful experience.

The End