ENGGPHYSICS Physics for Engineers

CHAPTER III. KINEMATICS

 MOTION ON A PLANE / PROJECTILE

Projectile Motion is the motion of an object thrown or projected into the air, subject
only to acceleration as a result of gravity. Such objects that undergo projectile motion
are called the projectiles and their path is called a trajectory. The motion of falling
objects (free fall) is a simple one-dimensional type of projectile motion in which there is
no horizontal movement.
The most important fact to remember here is that motions along perpendicular axes
are independent and thus can be analysed separately. The key to analysing two-
dimensional projectile motion is to break it into two motions: one along the horizontal
axis (x-axis) and the other along the vertical axis (y-axis). This choice of axes is the most
sensible because acceleration resulting from gravity is vertical, thus, there is no
acceleration along the horizontal axis when air resistance is negligible.
Vf=0

Vf
Vfy
Vi ymax

Vfx
Viy
y
Ѳ
Vix
x

Using the following sets of equations derived from the three kinematics formula, we
can analyse projectile motion.
Horizontal Motion: (acceleration, a = 0)

Vertical Motion: (acceleration, a = g)

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Where:
Vix , Viy = x and y components of initial velocity
Vfx , Vfy = x and y components of final velocity
sx , x = horizontal displacement
sy, y = vertical displacement

Problem Solving Strategy for Projectile Motion:

1. Resolve the motion into horizontal and vertical components along the x- and y-axes.
The magnitude of the components of displacement s along these axes are x and y.
The magnitudes of the velocity V are Vx and Vy.
- The horizontal motion is simple, because acceleration is zero and velocity is
constant.
- The velocity in the vertical motion begins to decrease as the object rises. At its
highest point, the vertical velocity is zero. As the object falls towards the earth
again, the vertical velocity increases again in magnitude but points in the
opposite direction to the initial vertical velocity.

2. Treat the motion as two independent one-dimensional motions: one vertical and one
horizontal. Use the kinematic equations for horizontal and vertical motion presented
above.
3. Solve for the unknowns in the two separate motions. Note that the only common
variable between the motions is time t.
4. Recombine quantities in the horizontal and vertical directions to find the
displacement s and velocity v. Solve the magnitude and direction of the displacement
and velocity using trigonometric functions.

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Sample Problem:
1. A tourist throws a rock horizontally off the edge of a high cliff with an initial velocity of
10 m/s.
a. Taking the y-axis to be upward, write equations for the x and y coordinates as
functions of time.
b. Calculate the values of x and y at times t= 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 seconds.
c. Write equations for the x and y components of the rock’s velocity.
d. Find the magnitude and direction of the velocity at time t=1 s. Is the velocity tangent
to the trajectory?
Solution:
Vi = 10 m/s

a. Note: Vi = Vix sinceVi is horizontal, thus Viy = 0

b. @ t = 0 s

(zero values in x and y means that when time, t =0, the object has no horizontal and
vertical displacement yet)

@ t = 0.5 s

(at t= 0.5 seconds, the rock already moved 5 m to the right, and 1.2263 m downward)

@t=1s

(at t= 1 second, the rock already moved 10 m to the right, and 4.905 m downward)

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@ t = 1.5 s

(at t= 1.5 seconds, the rock already moved 15 m to the right, and 11.0363 m
downward)

@t=2s

(at t= 2 seconds, the rock already moved 20 m to the right, and 19.62 m downward)

Note: The negative sign of the vertical displacement y indicates that its current
position is located below the initial position of the object. At the same time, if it has a
positive sign, it is located above the initial position.
For the horizontal displacement x, its sign convention cannot be negative
since it has no acceleration and neglects air resistance, thus cannot go on the
opposite side of the initial position.

c.

d. @ t = 1 s

√ √

Yes, the velocity is tangent to the trajectory.

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2. A ball rolls off the edge of a table top 1 m above the floor and strikes the floor at a point
1.5 m horizontally from the edge of the table.
a. Find the time of flight.
b. Find the initial velocity.
c. Find the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the ball just before it strikes the
floor.
Solution:
Vi

Y=1 m

X=1.5 m
For this problem,

a.

Note: y= -1 m since it is a downward displacement (it is located below the initial

position)

b.

c.

√ √

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3. A block slide off a horizontal table top 1 m high with a speed of 3 m/s.
a. Find the horizontal distance from the edge of the table at which the block strikes the
floor.
b. Find the horizontal and vertical components of its velocity when it reaches the floor.
Solution:
Vi = 3m/s

Y=1 m

X
For this problem,

a.

b.

4. An airplane flying at 100 m/s drops a box at an elevation of 2000 m.

a. How much time is required for the box to reach the Earth?
b. How far does it travel horizontally while falling?
c. Find the horizontal and vertical components of its velocity when it strikes the
ground.
Solution:
Vi = 100m/s

Y=2000 m

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For this problem,

a.

b.

c.

5. A ball was thrown at an angle of 150 from the horizontal. If it was pitch with a velocity of
200 m/s,
a. How long before the ball hits the ground?
b. How far did the ball go?
c. How long after being pitched did the ball reached its highest peak?
d. How high did the ball go?
e. What is the magnitude and direction of the ball as it hits the ground?
Solution:

Vi=200 m/s
Viy
ymax

Ѳ=150
Vix

x
For this problem,

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a.

Note: The displacement y = 0 since when the ball hits the ground, it is back to its
original height, there will be no vertical displacement.

b.

c.

Note: In vertical motion, an object reaches its highest peak/maximum height

when vertical velocity is zero

d.

(This time y is positive since its location is above the initial position)

e.

√ √

If you can notice, the magnitude and direction of the final velocity is similar with that
of the initial velocity. This happens when the situation is symmetrical. (symmetrical
mean the part on the right side is the same with the other side, let the y max be the
dividing center). In a symmetrical situation, the object goes back to its original height
(no vertical displacement), the time it takes to travel to the highest peak is half the total
time it travels and the ymax is bisecting the horizontal displacement.

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6. In a game, Player A hits a tennis ball bouncing back to the opponent in an angle of 350.
Assuming the ball bounce back on the opponents area after 2.3 seconds, calculate,
a. the initial velocity of the ball on its first bouncing
b. the horizontal displacement of the ball
c. the maximum height the ball bounced
d. the final velocity of the ball on its second bouncing
Solution:

Vi
Viy
ymax

Ѳ=350
Vix

x
For this problem,

a.

b.

c. Since the problem is symmetrical, we can use t=(1/2)(2.3) = 1.15 s as the time the
ball reaches its maximum height

d.

√ √

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7. A batted baseball leaves the bat at an angle of 300 above the horizontal and is caught by
an outfielder 120 m from the plate.
a. What was the initial speed of the ball?
b. How high did it rise?
c. How long was it in the air?
Solution:

Vi
Viy
ymax

Ѳ=300
Vix

x=120 m
For this problem,

a. We are only given the values of the inclination and the horizontal distance. We
can not solve directly for the value of initial velocity so we’re going to use system
of equations.

Also, as mentioned earlier, y = 0 (no vertical displacement) if the object reaches

back its original height, which in this case is when it hits back the ground, so

Substituting Eq 1 to Eq 2, we can calculate the value of the initial velocity.

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b. Now to solve for the maximum height, since we don’t have the time of flight, let’s
solve for the value of time it takes to travel the highest peak first. We are also to
use the idea that at the highest peak, velocity is zero (Vf = 0)

We can also try using another approach without solving the time it takes the
flight.

c. For the time of flight, since the problem has a symmetrical situation, we can just
solve t as,

Or we can try solving the value using the formula,

8. Jojo was playing on their backyard with his new ball. He tried kicking the ball on the
other side of the lawn but it bounced on a wall 2 m high. If he kicked at an angle of 560
and reached the wall after 1.78 s, find out the (a) initial velocity that the ball was kicked,
(b) the distance between Jojo and the wall, and (c) the maximum height the ball
reached.
Solution:
Vi
Viy ymax

y=2m
560
Vix
x

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For this problem,

a.

This time, y is positive since it is located above the initial position.

b.

c. This time, the problem is not symmetrical so we cannot just divide the time to get
the time it takes to reach the highest peak.
Let’s try solving the time it takes to reach the maximum height first.

Or we can try using the other equation,

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Homework no.04
Answer the following problems and questions in a clean sheet of bond paper. Show
your complete solutions and illustrations and box your final answers. Make sure to indicate
the necessary units and use 4 decimal places. Make use of two columns for your solutions.
Take a clear picture of your output and send it to your instructor through private message.

1. A golf ball is driven horizontally from an elevated tee with a speed of 25 m/s. It
strikes the fairway 2.5 s later.
a. How far has it fallen vertically?
b. How far has it travelled horizontally?
c. Find the magnitude and direction of its velocity just before it strikes.
2. A marksman fires a 0.22 caliber rifle horizontally at a target. The bullet has a muzzle
velocity of 300 m/s. How much does the bullet drop (y) in flight if the target is
a. 50 m away
b. 150 m away
3. During a fireworks display, a shell is shot into the air with an initial speed of 70 m/s
at an angle of 750 above the horizontal. The fuse is timed to ignite the shell just as it
reaches its highest point above the ground.
a. How much time passes between the launch of the shell and the explosion?
b. Calculate the height at which the shell explodes.
c. What is the horizontal displacement of the shell when it explodes?
4. A projectile is launched at an angle of 300 and lands 20 s later at the same height as it
was launched.
a. What is the maximum height of the projectile?
b. What is the distance between the starting point and the landing?
c. Calculate the displacement from the point of launch to the position on its
trajectory at 15 s. (hint: hypotenuse of vertical and horizontal displacement)
5. A basketball player shoots toward a basket 6.1 m away and 3 m above the floor. If
the ball is released 1.8 m above the floor at an angle of 600 above the horizontal,
what must the initial speed be if it were to go through the basket?

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