Projectile Motion

Lets Go Skydiving!

Speed is the distance traveled per unit time. Velocity is an object's speed and direction of motion. Acceleration is a change in velocity over a certain period of time.

Gravity tends to pull all objects toward the center of the earth. Gravitational Acceleration is the constant describing the acceleration of any object falling toward the earth. -9.8 m/sec2 -32 ft/sec2

Gravity tends to pull all objects toward the center of the earth. Gravitational Acceleration is the constant describing the acceleration of any object falling toward the earth. -9.8 m/sec2 -32 ft/sec2

A projectile is any moving object upon which the only active force is gravity. Gravity pulls all projectiles toward the center of the earth at the same rate.

U ! Theta

Firing Angle ( ) is measured in degrees. It is the angle at which the projectile left the cannon.

Vi

Initial Velocity (Vi) is the angular speed of a projectile at the start of its flight.

Vi
4 Seconds 3 Seconds 0 ft/sec 32 ft/sec 4 Seconds 5 Seconds 0 ft/sec 32 ft/sec 2 Seconds 64 ft/sec 6 Seconds 64 ft/sec 1 Second 96 ft/sec 7 Seconds 96 ft/sec

U
U ! 90r

0 Seconds Initial Velocity (Vi) 128 ft/sec 8 Seconds 128 ft/sec

Constant Horizontal Velocity

0 Sec.

1 Sec.

2 Sec.

3 Sec.

4 Sec.

Constant Horizontal Velocity

Gravitational Acceleration 32 ft/sec2 0 Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec.

Vi ! Initial Velocity g ! Gravitational Acceleration x ! Horizontal Dis tance Traveled U ! Firing Angle

Vi

 gx Vi ! sin2U

Vi ! Initial Velocity g ! Gravitational Acceleration x ! Horizontal Dis tance Traveled U ! Firing Angle

Vi sin2U x! g

Vi ! Initial Velocity g ! Gravitational Acceleration x ! Horizontal Distance Traveled U ! Firing Angle

2U !

1 gx sin 2 Vi

Vi
U