Activity 20

Teacher Notes: Projectile MotionInitial Speed and Time of Flight

PS-2826

Teacher Notes Activity 20: Projectile MotionInitial Speed and Time

of Flight
Time Estimates

Preparation: 20 min

Activity: 40 min

Objectives
Students will be able to

use two Photogates and a Time-of-Flight pad to measure the initial speed and the time of travel for a
projectile launched horizontally from a projectile launcher.

use the Xplorer GLX to record and display the initial speed and the time of flight of the projectile for
three settings of the projectile launcher.

compare the initial speed and the time of flight for the projectile when it is launched horizontally.

state a relationship between the time of flight and initial speed when the launch angle is horizontal.

Notes
It is important that the launcher be exactly horizontal. Use a sprit level for best results.
The Xplorer GLX has a built-in value for the distance between the two photogates of 10 cm
(0.10 m) and uses this distance to calculate the initial speed. If the distance between the
photogates is different, enter the actual distance in the Sensors screen. To open the Sensors
screen, press F4 in the Home Screen.
These equations are used to describe the x and y
components of projectile motion.

Projectile motion is a kind of two-dimensional motion that

occurs when the moving object (the projectile) experiences

only the acceleration due to gravity, which acts in the

vertical direction. The acceleration of the projectile has no

horizontal component if the effects of air resistance are

ignored. The vertical component of the acceleration equals
the acceleration due to gravity, g.
The vertical motion of a freely falling ball launched horizontally off a table of height 'y' is
independent of any horizontal motion the ball may have. Thus the time for a ball to fall to the
ground is independent of its horizontal speed. The distance 'y' a ball falls from rest as a function
of the time of fall 't' is given by the second equation where 'g' is the acceleration in free fall (and
the initial velocity is zero). The time for a ball to fall straight down a distance 'y' from rest to the
ground is given by t

Sample Data
The screenshot shows the Table screen for Initial Velocity
and Time of Flight for one run.

Introductory Physics with the Xplorer GLX

2006 PASCO

p. 67

Activity 20

Teacher Notes: Projectile MotionInitial Speed and Time of Flight

PS-2826

Lab Report Activity 20: Projectile MotionInitial Speed and Time of

Flight
Answers and Sample Data
Prediction
How would the time-of-flight of a projectile change if its initial speed is increased but the angle
of launch is always horizontal?
The time-of-flight of a projectile launched horizontally is independent of the initial speed. It
depends on the vertical distance the projectile falls. Therefore, the time-of-flight should not
change as the initial speed is increased.

Data Table
Launch Angle Horizontal
Range

Initial Speed (m/s)

Time of Flight (s)

Short

2.94

0.501

Middle

4.65

0.513

Long

5.84

0.537

Questions
1.

How do the values for the time of flight for the short, middle, and long-range distances
compare when the ball was launched horizontally?

The times of flight for the short, middle and long ranges were within 2% of one another.
2.

What was the independent variable in this activity (what did you change from one run to
the next)?

The independent variable was initial speed.

3.

Which variables did you measure?

Time of flight and initial speed were the measured variables.

4.

How can you predict how long a ball will stay in the air? Does a change in its initial speed
change the "time of flight"? If so, how?

You can predict the time of flight based on the acceleration due to gravity and the initial height
of the projectile. If the launcher is horizontal, then the initial speed does not affect the time of
flight.

Introductory Physics with the Xplorer GLX

2006 PASCO

p. 68