Projectile Motion in 3-D

Suppose a rocket is launched from ground level. It reaches its maximum at (1000,2000,5000)
Where the distance is in meters.

See the Animation -- 3D projectile

1. Find the parametric equations of motion

2. Where does the object land ?

1.
2.

3.

x( t)

y ( t)

z( t)

4.9 t v

Where

0x

0y

t
t
2

0x ,

0z

0y , and

0z are the initial velocities in the x, yand z directions respectively

Step 1
dz

At the top of the trajectory dt

dz

9.8 t v

dt

v
t

0z

0z

9.8

Using this result in equation 3 and recaling at the top of the trajectory z = 5000

We obtain

4.9

v0z

9.8

0z
0z 9.8

0z 2

.05102 v
v

0z

313.1

5000

5000

m/s

Step 2
In the animation we see that the rocket reaches the top of the trajectory in about 32 secs. Let's
calculate the exact time.
v

dz

Now we can use the value of 0z from step 1 in our expression for dt to find the time it hits
the top of the trajectory 9.8 t 313.05

0 from which t = 31.95 seconds.

Step 3
We can now use the result from Step 2 in equations 1 and 2 to find

x( t)

0x

31.3

y ( t)

0y

0x

31.95

2000

62.6

0x

0x and

1000

0x

0x

31.95

We have then for our parametric equations of the trajectory:

1. x( t )

31.3t

2. y ( t)

62.6t

3. z( t )

4.9 t 313.1t

2. To find where it lands set z(t) = 0 and use this time in equations 1 and 2 .
We would think it would be (2000,4000,0).
2

4.9 t 313.1t

0 yields t = 63.9 secs

1. x( 63.9)

31.3 63.9

2000

2. y ( 63.9)

62.6 63.9

4000

0y