KS5 "Full Coverage": Projectiles (Year 2)

This worksheet is designed to cover one question of each type seen in past papers, for each A
Level topic. This worksheet was automatically generated by the DrFrostMaths Homework
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Question 1
Categorisation: Determine the vertical height at a given final speed, given an
unknown angle of projection.

[Edexcel M2 June 2014 Q6a]

A small ball is projected with speed 14 m s −1 from a point 𝐴 on horizontal ground. The angle
of projection is 𝛼 above the horizontal. A horizontal platform is at height ℎ metres above the
ground. The ball moves freely under gravity until it hits the platform at the point 𝐵 , as shown
in Figure 2. The speed of the ball immediately before it hits the platform at 𝐵 is 10 m s −1 .

Find the value of ℎ .

ℎ = .......................... m

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Question 2
Categorisation: Consider particles projected downwards.

[Edexcel A2 Specimen Papers P3 Q10a]

A tennis player serves a ball so as to pass over the net.

The ball is struck at a point 𝑂 which is 3.5 m vertically above the point 𝐴 which is on
horizontal ground.
The bottom of the net is the point 𝐵 which is on the ground and 𝐴𝐵 = 12 m.
The height of the net is 1 m, as shown in Figure 3.

The ball is modelled as a particle moving freely under gravity.

Using the model, find, in centimetres to 2 significant figures, the distance between the ball and
the top of the net, as the ball passes over the net.

𝑑 = .......................... cm

Question 3
Categorisation: Determine the final speed.

[Edexcel A2 Specimen Papers P3 Q10b] (Continued from above)

Using the model, find, to 2 significant figures, the speed of the ball as it passes over the net.

𝑣 = .......................... m s −1

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Question 4
Categorisation: Determine the initial speed.

[Edexcel A2 SAM P3 Q10a]

A boy throws a stone with speed 𝑈 m s −1 from a point 𝑂 at the top of a vertical cliff.
The point 𝑂 is 18 m above sea level.
3
The stone is thrown at an angle 𝛼 above the horizontal, where 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝛼 = 4 .

The stone hits the sea at the point 𝑆 which is at a horizontal distance of 36 m from the foot of
the cliff, as shown in Figure 2. The stone is modelled as a particle moving freely under gravity
with 𝑔 = 10 m s −2

Find the value of 𝑈 .

𝑈 = .......................... m s −1

Question 5
Categorisation: Determine the speed at a given height.

[Edexcel A2 SAM P3 Q10b Edited] (Continued from above)

Find the speed of the stone when it is 10.8 m above sea level, giving your answer to 2
significant figures.

.......................... m s −1

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Question 6
Categorisation: Determine the horizontal distance travelled.

[Edexcel M2 June 2010 Q7b Edited]

A ball is projected with speed 40 m s −1 from a point 𝑃 on a cliff above horizontal ground.

The point 𝑂 on the ground is vertically below 𝑃 and 𝑂𝑃 is 36 m. The ball is projected at an
angle 𝜃 ° to the horizontal. The point 𝑄 is the highest point of the path of the ball and is 12 m
above the level of 𝑃 . The ball moves freely under gravity and hits the ground at the point 𝑅 ,
as shown in Figure 3.

Find the distance 𝑂𝑅 .

.......................... m

Question 7
Categorisation: Derive a formula involving projectile motion.

[Edexcel M2 June 2011 Q8a Edited] A particle is projected from a point 𝑂 with speed 𝑢 at
an angle of elevation 𝛼 above the horizontal and moves freely under gravity. When the
particle has moved a horizontal distance 𝑥 , its height above 𝑂 is 𝑦 .

Show that

𝑔𝑥 2
𝑦 = 𝑥 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝛼 −
𝐴 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼

where 𝐴 is an expression to be found.

𝐴 = ..........................

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Question 8
Categorisation: As above.

[Edexcel M2 June 2018 Q7a Edited] A particle, of mass 0.3 kg, is projected from a point 𝑂
on horizontal ground with speed 𝑢 .

The particle is projected at an angle 𝛼 above the horizontal, where 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝛼 = 2 , and moves
freely under gravity. When the particle has moved a horizontal distance 𝑥 from 𝑂 , its height
above the ground is 𝑦 .
5𝑔 2
Show that 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 𝐴
𝑥 where 𝐴 is an expression to be found.

𝐴 = ..........................

Question 9
Categorisation: Determine the time/speed when the projectile is moving at a given
angle.

[Edexcel M2 June 2012 Q7c Edited]

A small stone is projected from a point 𝑂 at the top of a vertical cliff 𝑂𝐴 . The point 𝑂 is 52.5
m above the sea. The stone rises to a maximum height of 10 m above the level of 𝑂 before
hitting the sea at the point 𝐵 , where 𝐴𝐵 = 50 m, as shown in Figure 4. The stone is modelled
as a particle moving freely under gravity.

It can be shown that the vertical component of the velocity of projection of the stone is 14 m
s −1 . Find the time after projection when the stone is moving parallel to 𝑂𝐵 .

𝑡 = .......................... seconds

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Question 10
Categorisation: Consider the collision of multiple projectiles.

[Edexcel M2 June 2017 Q6a]

The points 𝐴 and 𝐵 lie 40 m apart on horizontal ground. At time 𝑡 = 0 the particles 𝑃 and 𝑄
are projected in the vertical plane containing 𝐴𝐵 and move freely under gravity. Particle 𝑃 is
projected from 𝐴 with speed 30 m s −1 at 60° to 𝐴𝐵 and particle 𝑄 is projected from 𝐵 with
speed 𝑞 m s −1 at angle 𝜃 to 𝐵𝐴 , as shown in Figure 4.

At 𝑡 = 2 seconds, 𝑃 and 𝑄 collide.

Find the size of angle 𝜃 and the value of 𝑞 .

𝜃 = .......................... °

𝑞 = ..........................

Question 11
Categorisation: Use vectors within projectile motion.

[Edexcel M2 June 2016 Q6a]

[In this question,𝐢 is a horizontal unit vector and 𝐣 is an upward vertical unit vector.]

A particle 𝑃 is projected from a fixed origin 𝑂 with velocity (3𝐢 + 4𝐣) m s −1 . The particle
moves freely under gravity and passes through the point 𝐴 with position vector 𝜆(𝐢 − 𝐣) m,
where 𝜆 is a positive constant.

Find the value of 𝜆 .

𝜆 = ..........................

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Question 12
Categorisation: As above.

[Edexcel M2 June 2016 Q6b Edited] (Continued from above)

Find the speed of 𝑃 at the instant when it passes through 𝐴 and the direction of motion of 𝑃
at the instant when it passes through 𝐴 .

..........................

Question 13
Categorisation: Determine the initial speed/angle of projection given a later speed
and angle.

[Edexcel M2 June 2015 Q7a]

At time 𝑡 = 0 , a particle is projected from a fixed point 𝑂 on horizontal ground with speed 𝑢
m s −1 at an angle 𝜃 ° to the horizontal. The particle moves freely under gravity and passes
through the point 𝐴 when 𝑡 = 4 s. As it passes through 𝐴 −1 , as shown in Figure 3.

Find the value of 𝑢 and the value of 𝜃 .

𝑢 = .......................... m s −1

𝜃 = .......................... °

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Answers

Question 1
ℎ = 4.9 m

Question 2
𝑑 = 2.5 cm

Question 3
𝑣 = 46 m s −1

Question 4
𝑈 = 15 m s −1

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Question 5
19 m s −1

Question 6
170 m

Question 7
𝐴 = 2𝑢2

Question 8
𝐴 = 2𝑢2

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Question 9
𝑡 = 2.5 seconds

Question 10
°
𝜃 = 79 and 𝑞 = 26.5

Question 11
𝜆 = 4.3

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Question 12
"73.3" and "below"

Question 13
𝑢 = 72 m s −1 and 𝜃 = 47 °

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