Horizontal Projectile XI Class

ALFA PHYSICS CLASSES

Projectile Motion
Anybody which is thrown with some initial velocity and is then allowed to move under the effect of gravity
alone is called projectile motion. The path followed by the projectile is called is trajectory. Projectile motion is
two dimensional motions, but it will be treated as 2 one dimensional motion. As the body is moving under the
effect of the gravity, therefore there is no horizontal force acting on the body. In projectile motion
1. Acceleration of the body is horizontal direction is zero.
2. Momentum as well as velocity in horizontal direction remains constant.
3. Acceleration in vertical direction is equal to acceleration due to gravity and is constant.

Horizontal Projectile:
Horizontal projectile is one which the body is thrown with some velocity in horizontal direction from certain
height and is then allowed to move under the effect of gravity alone. As the body is moving under gravity alone
its horizontal velocity at any instant is same as the initial horizontal velocity.

Equation of Trajectory
It is the relation between the distance travelled by body in horizontal and vertical direction. If the body is
assumed to be thrown at time t=0 and reaches any point P after time t, then the distance travelled by the body in
horizontal direction is x and the distance travelled in vertical direction is y.
Consider horizontal direction first,
Initial Velocity ux= u Acceleration in horizontal direction =0
Displacement in horizontal direction = x Time for horizontal displacement = t
Using ,
1 2
S = ut + at
2
x = ut
x
t=
u
Consider vertical direction
Initial Velocity uy = 0 Acceleration in vertical direction = g
Displacement in vertical direction = y Time for vertical displacement = t
Using

1 2
S = ut + at
2
1 2
y= gt
2
g 2
y= x
2u 2
As g/2u2 is constant, therefore we can say that y α x2 and the path followed by the particle or body is parabolic.

Residence 86, Chotti Baradari Part-1 [Near Medical College], Garha Road Jalandhar # 98152-15362
 Horizontal Projectile XI Class
ALFA PHYSICS CLASSES
Time of Flight:

It is the time taken by the projectile to move from the top of the building or height h to reach the ground. To
find the time of flight , consider vertical direction

Initial velocity in vertical direction uy=0 Acceleration in vertical direction = g

Vertical displacement = h Time of flight = T

Using
1 2
S = ut + at
2
1 2
H= gT
2

2H
T=
g

This relation implies that the time of flight is independent of the initial velocity of the body. Thus, if the two
bodies thrown simultaneously from the same point but with different horizontal velocities, their time of flight will
be same. Moreover, if the body is dropped from height h instead of throwing it horizontally the time of flight will
still be same.

Horizontal Range

It is the maximum distance travelled by body in horizontal direction when it moves from top of the tower to the
ground. it is denoted by ‘R’. To find the horizontal range consider horizontal direction

Initial velocity in horizontal direction = u Acceleration in horizontal direction =0

2H
Time of flight = Horizontal range = R
g

1 2
S = ut + at
2
2H
R =u
g
Thus, horizontal range will be different for bodies thrown with different velocity, larger the velocity in horizontal
direction larger will be the horizontal range.

Velocity At Any Instant:

The velocity at any point can be calculated by finding the horizontal and vertical component of velocity at the
given instant. If body is thrown horizontally then the velocity in horizontal direction and as no force acts in
Residence 86, Chotti Baradari Part-1 [Near Medical College], Garha Road Jalandhar # 98152-15362
 Horizontal Projectile XI Class
ALFA PHYSICS CLASSES
horizontal direction therefore the horizontal component of velocity at any point in the path will be ‘u’ only
whereas the vertical velocity increases with the increase in time due to gravitational acceleration.
Consider vertical direction
Initial velocity uy= 0 Acceleration in vertical direction =g
Time taken to reach any point p =t
v= u +at
vy =gt
Thus, the magnitude of net velocity is vector sum of horizontal and vertical velocities and is given by

v= u 2  ( gt )2
and the angle which this velocity makes with the horizontal is given by θ, such that
vy gt
tanθ = 
vx u
2h
to find the velocity of reaching the ground we substitute the value of t as and get
g

v= u 2  2 gh
NOTE: All these formulas can be used in the case of horizontal projectile only i.e. when body is thrown with velocity
u in horizontal direction from the top of the tower, if the body is thrown with velocity in some other direction from
the top of the tower then we can’t use these formulas. Always try to solve by taking horizontal and vertical
directions equation separately in projectile motion.
[b] The horizontal projectile concepts can also be used when bodies are dropped from an aircraft moving in
horizontal direction. In place of the height of the building we take altitude of the aeroplane as the height and
velocity of aeroplane is taken as the horizontal velocity with which the body is projected.
[c] Similarly if the body is dropped from moving bus, then height of window from where body is dropped is h and
the velocity of the bus is horizontal velocity with which the body is projected.

Practice Questions
Q.1 A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of tower with a speed of 50m/s. find the velocity and position at
the end of 3 seconds. [Ans. 58m/s , 44.1m below and 150m away horizontally]

Q.2 A body is thrown horizontally from the top of a tower and strikes the ground in 3 seconds at an angle of
450 with the horizontal. Find the height of the tower and speed with which it was projected?
[Ans. 44.1m, 29.4m/s]

Q.3 A ship is sailing westward at 8m/s. while trying to fix a bolt at the top of mast, the sailor drops the bolt. if
the mast of ship is 19.6m high, where will the bolt hit the deck? [Ans. travels 16m]

Q.4 Two persons A and B are separated by a distance of 100m. A bullet pierces A and then B. the hole in B is
0.1m below the hole in A. If the bullet is travelling horizontally at the time of hitting, calculate the velocity
of the bullet when it hits the screen A. [Ans. 700m/s]

Residence 86, Chotti Baradari Part-1 [Near Medical College], Garha Road Jalandhar # 98152-15362
 Horizontal Projectile XI Class
ALFA PHYSICS CLASSES

Residence 86, Chotti Baradari Part-1 [Near Medical College], Garha Road Jalandhar # 98152-15362