In Aristotle's theory of motion, projectiles were pushed along by an external force

which was transmitted through the air. His medieval successors internalized this force
in the projectile itself and called it "impetus." This impetus caused the object to move
in a straight line until it was expended, at which point the object fell straight to the
ground. While objects projected through small distances may appear to behave in this
manner, under closer inspection and when viewing projectiles traveling greater
distances, it becomes clear that projectiles do not behave in this manner.