Lab Report No.

Mini Launcher
Projectile Path
Applied Physics Instructor: Miss Fatima Mahjabeen
Miss Sundas Gul
Submitted by (Group 2):
Zain Mushtaq (287200)
M Ahmed Mushtaq (283632)
Mohammad Anas (290831)
Safiullah(300854)
Hassan Rehan(299802)
Ghulam Mohayu Din (294071)
SEECS
Abstract:
 Experiment 4:
The purpose of this experiment is to show that the kinetic energy of a
ball shot straight up is transformed into potential energy.
 Experiment 6:
The purpose of this experiment is to show that the momentum is
conserved in two dimensions for elastic and inelastic collisions.
Experiment 4:
Projectile Path
Theory:
The range is the horizontal distance, x, between the muzzle of the
launcher and the place where the ball hits given by 𝑥 = 𝑣0 𝑡, where 𝑣0 is the
initial speed of the ball as it leaves the muzzle and 𝑡 is time of flight. If the ball is
shot horizontally, the time of flight of the ball will be:
𝑥
𝑡=
𝑣0
The vertical distance that the ball, y, that the ball falls in time 𝑡 is given by:
1 2
𝑦= 𝑔𝑡
2
Where 𝑔 is the acceleration due to gravity. Substituting the value of 𝑡 into the
equation for 𝑦 gives:
𝑔
𝑦=( ) 𝑥2
2𝑣0 2
𝑔
A plot of 𝑦 versus 𝑥 2 will give a straight line with a slope equal to .
2𝑣0 2

Procedure:
1.We measured the vertical height from the floor to the muzzle and marked this
height on the target.
2.We measured the horizontal distance from the muzzle of the launcher to the
target.
3.After shooting the ball, we moved the target about 5 cm close to the launcher.
4.We, then repeated the above step until the ball strikes the target about 10 cm
below the muzzle height.
Calculations:
𝑥0 = 77.83 𝑐𝑚
Height of Muzzle = ℎ = 30 cm
𝑥(𝑐𝑚) 𝑥 2 (𝑐𝑚) 𝑦(𝑐𝑚)
77.83 6057.51 30
72.83 5304.23 24.5
67.83 4600.91 22
62.83 3947.60 19
57.83 3344.30 15.5

Graph:
Projectile Path
7000
6000 6057.51
5000 5304.23
4600.91
4000
y(cm)

3947.6
3344.4
3000
2000
1000
0 30 24.5 22 19 15.5
1 2 3 4 5
x2 (cm)

𝑔
Slope of graph = 𝑘 = = 0.0073
2𝑣0 2

𝑔 980
Initial speed from slope = 𝑣𝑒𝑥𝑝 = √ = √ = √67123 = 259 𝑐𝑚𝑠 −1
2𝑘 2(0.0073)

2𝑦 2(30)
Time of flight = 𝑡 = √ = √ = 0.247𝑠
𝑔 980

𝑥0 77.83
Initial speed form 𝑥, 𝑦 = 𝑣𝑡ℎ = = = 305𝑐𝑚𝑠 −1
𝑡 0.247
259 − 305
Percentage error = (
305
) × 100 = 15.08 %
Experiment 6:
Conservation of momentum in two dimensions
Theory:
A ball is shot towards another ball which is initially at rest. After the
resulting collision the two balls go off in different directions. Both balls are falling
under the influence of the force of gravity so momentum is not conserved in the
vertical direction. However, there is no net force on the balls in the horizontal
plane so momentum is conserved in horizontal plane. Before the collision, since
all the momentum is in the direction of velocity of ball 1, it is convenient to define
the x-axis along this direction. Then the momentum before the collision is:

𝑃⃗𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 = 𝑚1 𝑣0 𝑥̂
and the momentum after the collision is:

𝑃⃗𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 = (𝑚1 𝑣1𝑥 + 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑥 )𝑥̂ + (𝑚1 𝑣1𝑦 − 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑦 )𝑦̂

where 𝑣1𝑥 = 𝑣1 cos 𝜃1 , 𝑣1𝑦 = 𝑣1 sin 𝜃1 , 𝑣2𝑥 = 𝑣2 cos 𝜃2 , 𝑣2𝑦 = 𝑣2 sin 𝜃2
Since there is no net momentum in y-direction before the collision, conservation
of momentum requires that there is no momentum in the y-direction after the
collision. Therefore:
𝑚1 𝑣1𝑦 = 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑦
Equating the momentum in the x-direction before the collision to the momentum
in the x-direction after the collision. Therefore:
𝑚1 𝑣0 = 𝑚1 𝑣1𝑥 + 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑥
In an elastic collision, energy is conserved as well as momentum.
1 1 1
𝑚1 𝑣0 2 = 𝑚1 𝑣1 2 + 𝑚2 𝑣2 2
2 2 2
Also, when energy is conserved, the paths of two balls(of equal mass) after the
collision will be at right angles to each other.
Procedure:
1.Using one ball, we shot the ball straight five times.
2. Elastic Collision: Using two balls, we loaded one ball and put the other ball on
the tee. We shot the ball five times.
3. Inelastic collision: Using two ball, we loaded one ball and stick a very small loop
of tape onto the tee ball. We oriented the tape side of the tee ball so it will be
struck by the launched ball, causing an inelastic collision. We shot the ball once
and if the ball missed the carbon paper, we relocated the carbon paper and shot
once more. Since the tape does not produce the same inelastic collision each
time, it is only useful to record this collision once.
4.We drew lines from the point, where the two balls strike each other, to the
centers of the group of dots. We measured the length of this line. This length is
proportional to the corresponding horizontal velocities and corresponding
momentum of each ball.
5.We calculated the x, y momentum before and after the collision and also the
total kinetic energy before and after the collision.

Calculations:
Inelastic collision
Initial x-momentum = 𝑥0 = 82.3 𝑐𝑚
Final x-momentum = 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 = 58 + 22.5 = 80.5 𝑐𝑚
80.5−82.3
Percentage difference = (
82.3
) × 100 = 2%

y-momentum in ball 1= 𝑦1 = 21.5 𝑐𝑚

y-momentum in ball 2 =𝑦2 = 22.5 𝑐𝑚
22.5−21.5
Percentage difference = (
21.5
) × 100 = 4.65%

Initial Kinetic Energy = 82.3 J

Final Kinetic Energy = √𝑥1 2 + 𝑥2 2 + 𝑦1 2 + 𝑦2 2 = 70 J

 70−82.3
Percentage difference = (
82.3
) × 100 = 14%
𝑦1 21.5
𝜃1 = tan−1 = tan−1 = 20.30
𝑥1 58
𝑦2 22.5
𝜃2 = tan−1 = tan−1 = 450
𝑥2 22.5
𝜃1 + 𝜃2 = 20.30 + 450 = 65.30
(𝜃1 +𝜃2 )−900
Percentage difference = (
𝜃1 +𝜃2
) × 100

65.30 −900
=( ) × 100
65.30

= 37%