MOTION OF A PROJECTILE

Todays Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Analyze the free-flight
motion of a projectile.
In-Class Activities:
Reading Quiz
Applications
Kinematic Equations for
Projectile Motion
Concept Quiz
Group Problem Solving
Attention Quiz

READING QUIZ
1. The downward acceleration of an object in free-flight
motion is
A) zero. B) increasing with time.
C) 9.81 m/s
2
. D) 9.81 ft/s
2
.
2. The horizontal component of velocity remains ________
during a free-flight motion.
A) zero B) constant
C) at 9.81 m/s
2
D) at 32.2 ft/s
2

APPLICATIONS
A good kicker instinctively knows at what angle, , and initial
velocity, v
A,
he must kick the ball to make a field goal.
For a given kick strength, at what angle should the ball be
kicked to get the maximum distance? Assuming level ground and eliminating t in the
equations for x and y (setting y=0) we obtain x=R=(v
A
2
/g)(2)(sin()cos()=(v
A
2
/g)sin(2), dR/d=0=(2v
A
2
/g )cos().
Therefore, R is maximum at =45.
APPLICATIONS
(continued)
A basketball is shot at a certain angle. What parameters should
the shooter consider in order for the basketball to pass through
the basket?
Distance, speed, the basket location, anything else ?
Shooting height and angle.
APPLICATIONS
(continued)
A firefighter needs to know the maximum height, H, on the
wall he could project water from the hose in the illustration
above. What parameters would you program into a wrist
computer to find the angle, , that he should use to hold the
hose? See Example Problem III.
H = ?
MOTION OF A PROJECTILE (Section 12.6)
Projectile motion can be treated as two rectilinear motions, one in
the horizontal direction experiencing zero acceleration and the other
in the vertical direction experiencing constant acceleration (i.e.,
from gravity).
For illustration, consider the two balls on the
left. The red ball falls from rest, whereas the
yellow ball is given a horizontal velocity. Each
picture in this sequence is taken after the same
time interval. Notice both balls are subjected to
the same downward acceleration since they
remain at the same elevation at any instant.
Also, note that the horizontal distance between
successive photos of the yellow ball is constant
since the velocity in the horizontal direction is
constant.
KINEMATIC EQUATIONS: HORIZONTAL MOTION
Since a
x
=0, the velocity in the horizontal direction remains
constant (v
x
=v
ox
) and the position in the x direction can be
determined by:
x =x
o
+(v
ox
) t Eqn. 1
Why is a
x
equal to zero (assuming movement through the air)?
The assumption, though correct only for a dimensionless particle, is that we neglect air resistance or drag force and,
hence, no acceleration (deceleration) in the direction of motion.
KINEMATIC EQUATIONS: VERTICAL MOTION
Since the positive y-axis is directed upward, a
y
= g.
Application of the constant acceleration equations yields:

v
y
=v
oy
g t Eqn. 2

y =y
o
+(v
oy
) t g t
2
Eqn. 3


v
y
2
=v
oy
2
2 g (y y
o
) Eqn. 4
For any given problem, only two of these three equations
can be used. Why? Only two independent equations
EXAMPLE I
Given: v
o
and
Find: The equation that defines
y as a function of x.
Plan: Eliminate time from the
kinematic equations.
Solution: Using v
x
=v
o
cos and v
y
=v
o
sin

We can write: x =(v
o
cos )t or

y =(v
o
sin ) t g (t)
2

t =
x
v
o
cos
y =(v
o
sin ) { } { }
2
x g x
v
o
cos 2 v
o
cos

By substituting for t:
EXAMPLE I
(continued)
The above equation is called the path equation which
describes the path of a particle in projectile motion.
The equation shows that the path is parabolic.
Simplifying the last equation, we get:
y = (x tan)
g x
2

2v
o
2
(1 +tan
2
)
EXAMPLE II
Given: Projectile is fired with v
A
=150 m/s
at point A.
Find: The horizontal distance it travels
(R) and the time in the air.

Plan:
Establish a fixed x, y coordinate system (in this solution,
the origin of the coordinate system is placed at A).
Apply the kinematic relations in x- and y-directions.
EXAMPLE II (continued)
Solving for t
AB
first, t
AB
=19.89 s. (Use quadratic equation)
Then, R =120 t
AB
=120 (19.89) =2387 m
Solution:
1) Place the coordinate system at point A.
Then, write the equation for horizontal motion.
+ x
B
=x
A
+v
Ax
t
AB

where x
B
=R, x
A
=0, v
Ax
=150 (4/5) m/s

Range, R will be R =120 t
AB

2) Now write a vertical motion equation. Use the distance equation.
+ y
B
=y
A
+v
Ay
t
AB
0.5 g

t
AB
2

where y
B
= 150, y
A
=0, and v
Ay
=150(3/5) m/s
We get the following equation: 150 =90 t
AB
+0.5 ( 9.81)

t
AB
2

CONCEPT QUIZ
1. In a projectile motion problem, what is the maximum
number of unknowns that can be solved?

A) 1 B) 2

C) 3 D) 4
2. The time of flight of a projectile, fired over level ground,
with initial velocity V
o
at angle , is equal to?

A) (v
o
sin )/g B) (2v
o
sin )/g

C) (v
o
cos )/g D) (2v
o
cos )/g
Set y =y
0
in y equation and solve for t or recognize that the final v
y
is -v
oy
and solve for t using the v
y
equation.
Three independent equations & three unknowns: x =x
o
+(v
ox
) t , v
y
=v
oy
g t, and y =y
o
+(v
oy
) t g t
2

EXAMPLE III
Given: A firefighter equipped with a
wrist calculator must stand 30
feet from a burning building as
shown to the right. He knows
that the velocity of the water
leaving the nozzle is 48 ft/s.
Find: The maximum height h on the wall to which the
firefighter can project water from the hose and the angle
determined by wrist calculator at which the nozzle
must be held to achieve this maximum height.
Plan: Assuming we are not concerned about the angle at which
the water strikes the building, the solution is to
maximize the height of the water at a distance of 30 ft
from the nozzle. Note that time is not important.
Therefore, maximizing y with respect to is the plan.
EXAMPLE III (continued)
Solution:
From Example I we found the following path equation:
y = (x tan)
g x
2

2v
o
2
(1 +tan
2
)
We know from calculus that the maximum (or minimum) of
a function relative to its variable argument can be obtained
by differentiating the function with respect to its variable
argument and setting the result equal to zero. This is true, of
course, since a maxima or minima is achieved when the
slope of the function is zero. To this end, we differentiate
Eq. (1) with respect to and set the result equal to zero.
Note, for this problem x, v
o
, and g are constants.
Eq. (1)
EXAMPLE III (continued)
EXAMPLE III (continued)
EXAMPLE III (continued)
GROUP PROBLEM SOLVING
Given: A skier leaves the ski
jump ramp at
A
=25
o

and hits the slope at B.
Find: The skiers initial speed v
A
.


Plan:
Establish a fixed x,y coordinate system (in this solution,
the origin of the coordinate system is placed at A).
Apply the kinematic relations in x and y-directions.
x
y
GROUP PROBLEM SOLVING
(continued)
Motion in x-direction:
Using x
B
=x
A
+v
ox
(t
AB
) =>(4/5)100 =0 +v
A
(cos 25) t
AB


=
t
AB
=
80
v
A
(cos 25)
88.27
v
A
v
A
=19.42 m/s
64 =0 +v
A
(sin 25) { }
88.27
v
A

(9.81) { }
2
88.27
v
A
Motion in y-direction:
Using y
B
=y
A
+v
oy
(t
AB
) g(t
AB
)
2
Solution:
y
B
=-[(3/5)100 +4] = 64
ATTENTION QUIZ
1. A projectile is given an initial velocity
v
o
at an angle above the horizontal.
The velocity of the projectile when it
hits the slope is _____A______ the
initial velocity v
o
.

A) less than B) equal to
C) greater than D) None of the above.
2. A particle has an initial velocity v
o
at angle with respect to the
horizontal. The maximum height it can reach is when
A) =30 B) =45
C) =60 D) =90
v
2
y
=v
2
oy
2g(y-y
o
) @ max y v
y
=0 and 2g(y-y
o
) =(v
o
sin )
2
which is max. @ = 90