Syllabus Outcome

Syllabus Outcome
2. APPLY the modelling of projectile motion to

quantitatively derive the relationship between
the following variables:
- initial velocity
- launch angle
- maximum height
- time of flight
- final velocity
- launch height
- horizontal range of the projectile
Learning Intention: To
derive relationships between
the variables of projectile
motion.
Discussion: Human Cannonball
1. Identify and describe
the initial conditions of
the projectile vs.
the conditions
throughout the
trajectory.
2. How does this compare

to the
PhET projectile simulati
on
?
Initial Velocity
Initial Velocity
• Projectiles can be launched at any angle.
• The angle, θ, at which the projectile is launched is
called the launch angle.
• The initial velocity of a projectile, u, is determined by
an initial force (such as a throw or kick).
• The horizontal component of initial velocity is uH =
ucosθ, and the vertical component is uV = usinθ.
Practice Problem - Question
A Bofors gun fires a shell with a muzzle velocity of
880ms-1. If it has an elevation (angle above the
horizontal) of 30°, what are the vertical and
horizontal components of the initial velocity?
Practice Problem - Answer
u = 880ms-1 Therefore:
θ = 30° u = 762ms ; u = 440ms
H
-1
V
-1
uH = ucosθ
= 880cos30
= 762ms-1
uV = usinθ
= 880sin30
= 440ms-1
Maximum Height
Maximum Height
• The maximum height, h, that a projectile will
reach depends only on the vertical component
of the initial velocity and the launch height.
• The maximum height occurs when the vertical
velocity is zero.
Maximum Height
• The vertical position of a projectile at any time is
given by s = uVt + ½ at2 (if we take the launch
height to be zero).
• Then the maximum height, h, is when vV = uV +
at = 0 (remember vV = 0 at max. height).
• We can rearrange this equation to find the time
when maximum height occurs t = - uV/a.
– Note that while the expression for time is negative,
because the value for a = g = -9.81ms-2, the value
calculated for time will be positive.
Maximum Height
• We can now substitute this time into the expression
for vertical position:
h = uVt + ½ at2 = -uV2/2a
• If the launch height is not zero, then the max. height
is simply the launch height PLUS the value for max.
height.
h = V0 - u /2a
V
2
In a moment of frustration Jen throws her maths
textbook out the window, 2.4m above the ground.
She throws it with an initial velocity of 12ms-1 at an
angle of 45° above the horizontal. Calculate the
maximum height the book reaches.
u = 12ms-1 h = V - u /2a
0 V
2
θ = 45° = 2.4m - (12sin45)2/(2 x –9.8)

V0 = 2.4m = 6.07m
= 6.0m (2 sig figs)
h = V - uV2/2a
0
uV = usinθ
Time of Flight
Time of Flight
• The total time between when
a projectile is launched and
when it hits the ground is
called the time of flight.
• Look at the figure here. Note
that the path is symmetric
and is parabolic in shape.
This is the case when there is
no significant air resistance.
Time of Flight
• When the launch height is the same as the final height,
the time taken to reach the max. height is the same as
the time taken to go from the max. height down to the
ground again.
• The time taken to reach the max. height was found to
be:
t = -uV/a
• Therefore, the time of flight, tflight, must be twice this:
tflight = -2uVt/a
Time of Flight
• When the launch and final heights are not the
same, it is simplest to consider the two parts of
the flight separately: the ascent to max. height
and the descent from the max. height to the
landing point.
Jen has thrown her maths textbook out the
window, 2.4m above the ground. She throws it
with an initial velocity of 12ms-1 at an angle
of 45° above the horizontal. How long does it take
the book to reach the ground?
u = 12ms -1
t1 = -uV/a = -usinθ/a
θ = 45° = -(12sin45)/(-9.8)
V = 2.4m
0 = 0.866s
h = 6.07m (from last Q)
t1 = time to max. height -h = (uV)(t2) + (0.5)(a)(t2)2
t2 = time from max. Therefore t22 = 2(-h)/a
height to ground t2 = 1.113s
tflight = t1 + t2 = 0.866 + 1.113

= 1.979s = 2.0s (2 sig figs)
Final Velocity
Final Velocity
• If a projectile lands at the same height from which
it was launched the final velocity has the
same magnitude as the initial velocity (v = u).
• This is because horizontal velocity does not
change and the vertical velocity increases by the
same amount on the descent as it decreased by on
the ascent. The parabola is symmetrical.
• The angle of the final velocity is also the the
same as the initial.
• vx = ux = u cosθ (horizontal)
• vy = uy = u sinθ (vertical)
Final Velocity
• When the launch and landing heights are
different, then it is easiest to consider just the
descent phase of the trajectory.
– If we know the time of flight for this phase, we can
calculate the final vertical velocity.
• If we know the initial (and hence also final)
horizontal velocity, we can calculate the total
final velocity.
What is the final velocity of the maths textbook in
the previous example?
u = 12ms -1
v2 = vH2 + vV2
θ = 45°
= (8.49)2 + (-10.91)2
t2 = 1.113s (from last Q)
v = 13.8ms-1
vH = uH = ucosθ
tanθ = vV/vH
= 12cos45
= 8.49ms-1 θ = tan-1(v /v )
V H
= tan-1(-10.91/8.49)
vV = uV + at = -52.1°
= 0 + (-9.8)(1.113)
Therefore vfinal = 14ms-1 at
= -10.91ms-1
52° below the horizontal.
Horizontal Range of a Projectile
• The horizontal range of a projectile can be
found from the time of flight.
– RECALL that while the vertical component of the
velocity varies with time, the horizontal component
is constant. That is because we assume no
horizontal forces are acting.
• From the kinematics equations, the range Hmax,

is:
Hmax = uHtflight
When Jen threw her maths book out the window
in previous examples, at what horizontal distance
from her window did it land?
u = 12ms-1
θ = 45°
tflight = 1.979s (from last Q's)
Hmax = uHtflight
= ucosθtflight
= (12)cos45(1.979)
= 16.9m
= 17m (2 sig figs)
• Starting with the expression for the range
(H = u t ), and substituting in the expression
max H flight
for time of flight (t = -2u t/a), we can write the

flight V
expression for range as:

H =ut max H flight
= (2)(uH)(uV)/a
= (2)(u2)(sinθ)(cosθ)/a
• The maximum possible range for a projectile
occurs for a launch of 45° when there is no air
resistance.
Your Turn
• Worksheet 5.2: 'Projectile Motion – is it Safe?'
• Worksheet 5.3: 'Projectile Motion – Human

Cannonball Data Analysis'
• Check your answers on CANVAS

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2. APPLY the modelling of projectile motion to

2. How does this compare

θ = 45° = 2.4m - (12sin45)2/(2 x –9.8)

tflight = t1 + t2 = 0.866 + 1.113

• From the kinematics equations, the range Hmax,

for time of flight (t = -2u t/a), we can write the

expression for range as:

• Worksheet 5.3: 'Projectile Motion – Human

• Check your answers on CANVAS

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