King Fahd University of

Petroleum & Minerals

Mechanical Engineering
Dynamics ME 201
BY
Dr. Meyassar N. Al-Haddad
Lecture # 4
 12.6 Motion of a Projectile
• Projectile: any body that is given an initial
velocity and then follows a path determined
by the effects of gravitational acceleration
and air resistance.
• Trajectory – path followed by a projectile
 Horizontal Motion is Uniform Motion
Notice that the Horizontal motion is in no way affected by the Vertical motion.
Projectile
Horizontal and vertical components of velocity
are independent.
Vertical velocity decreases at a constant rate
due to the influence of gravity.
Verify this mathematically
 Horizontal Motion
• Acceleration : ax= 0

() v  v0  act vx  (v0 ) x
 1 2
() x  x0  v0t  act x  x0  (v0 ) x t

2
() v 2  v0  2ac (s  s0 ) vx  (v0 ) x
2

• Conclusion # 1: Horizontal velocity remains constant

• Conclusion # 2: Equal distance covered in equal time intervals

( x  x0 )
vx 
t
 Vertical Motion
• ac= -g = 9.81 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2
( ) v  v0  act v y  (v0 ) y  gt
1 1
( ) y  y0  v0t  act 2 y  y0  (v0 ) y t  gt 2
2 2
2
( ) v  v0  2ac ( s  s0 ) v  v0  2 g ( y  y0 )
2 2 2
y y

• Conclusion # 1: Equal increments of speed gained in equal increments

of time
• Distance increases in each time interval
Projectile Motion
• Assumptions:
(1) free-fall acceleration
(2) neglect air resistance
• Choosing the y direction as positive upward:
ax = 0; ay = - g (a constant)
y v0
• Take x0= y0 = 0 at t = 0
• Initial velocity v0 makes an

angle 0 with the horizontal x
v0 x  v0 cos 0 v0 y  v0 sin  0
Maximum Height
At the peak of its trajectory, vy = 0.
From
v y  v0 y  gt  voy  gt  0
v0 y
Time t1 to reach the peak t1 
g
1 2
Substituting into: y  v0 y t  gt
2
v02y
h  ymax 
2g
 Projection Angle
• The optimal angle of projection is dependent on the
goal of the activity.
• For maximal height the optimal angle is 90o.
• For maximal distance the optimal angle is 45o.
Projection angle = 10 degrees
10 degrees
Projection angle = 45 degrees
10 degrees
30 degrees
40 degrees
45 degrees
Projection angle = 60 degrees
10 degrees
30 degrees
40 degrees
45 degrees
60 degrees
Projection angle = 75 degrees
10 degrees
30 degrees
40 degrees
45 degrees
60 degrees
75 degrees

So angle that maximizes Range

(optimal) = 45 degrees
 Example
• A ball is given an initial velocity of V0 = 37 m/s at an angle of  = 53.1. Find
the position of the ball, and the magnitude and direction of its velocity, when t =
2.00 s. Find the time when the ball reaches the highest point of its flight, and
find its height h at this point
•
The initial velocity of the ball has components:

v0x = v0 cos θ0 = (37.0 m/s) cos 53.1° = 22.2 m/s

v0y = v0 sin θ0 = (37.0 m/s) sin 53.1°= 29.6 m/s

a) position
x = v0xt = (22.2 m/s)(2.00 s) = 44.4 m
y = v0yt - ½gt2
= (29.6 m/s)(2.00 s) –½ (9.80 m/s2)(2.00 s)2
= 39.6 m
 Solution (con.)
• Velocity
• vx = v0x = 22.2 m/s
• vy = v0y – gt = 29.6 m/s – (9.80 m/s2)(2.00 s) = 10.0 m/s

v  vx2  v y2  22.2 m / s 2  (10.0 m / s) 2

 24.3 m / s
 10.0 m / s 
  arctan    arctan 0.450  24.2
 22.2 m / s 
 Solution (cont.)
• b) Find the time when the ball reaches the highest point
of its flight, and find its height H at this point.
v y  0  v0 y  gt1
v0 y
29.6 m / s
t1   2
 3.02 s
g 9.80 m / s
1
H  v0 y t1  gt 12
2
1
 (29.6 m / s)(3.02 s)  (9.80 m / s 2 )(3.02 s ) 2
2
 44.7 m
 Solution (cont.)
c) Find the horizontal range R, (that is, the horizontal
distance from the starting point to the point at which the
ball hits the ground.)
1 1
y  0  v0 y t 2  gt 2  t 2 (v0 y  gt 2 )
2

2 2

2v0 y 2(29.6 m / s )
t 2  0 and t 2   2
 6.04 s
g 9.80 m / s

R  v0 xt 2  (22.2 m / s)(6.04 s) 134 m

 A ball traveling at 25 m/s drive off of the edge of a
cliff 50 m high. Where do they land?

25 m/s Horizontally
x = x0 + (v0)x t x = 25 *3.19 = 79.8 m
Initial Conditions
Vertically
vx = 25 m/s
v = v0-gt
vy0 = 0 m/
s
m/ 2
y = y0 + v0t + 1/2gt2 …. -50 = 0+0+1/2(-9.8)t2 … t = 3.19 s
a =- 9.8 s
v2 = v02 - 2g(y-y0)….
t=0
y0 = 0 m
y =- 50 m
x0 =0 m 79.8 m
 Review
• Example 12.11
• Example 12.12
• Example 12.13