Projectiles §1. Introduction. If we throw a ball into the air (not vertically upwards), it describes a curved path. The body so pro- jected is called a projectile and the curved path described by the body is called its trajectory, In this chapter, we shall study the motion of a projectile in a vertical plane through the point of projection, assuming that air offers no resistance and that the acceleration due to the attraction of the earth is constant and is equal to gi.e., its value on the surface of the earth. §2. The Motion of a Projectile and its Trajectory. A particic of mass m is projected, in a vertical plane through the point of projection, with velocity u in a direction making an angle « with the horizontal; to show that the path of the projectile in vaccunt is aparabola, [Meerut 1977, 78, 81, 83, 83S, 84S, 86; Kanpur 84] Take the point of projection O as the origin, the horizontal line OX in the plane of projection as the x-axis and the vertical line OY as the y-axis. Let P (x, y) be the position of the particle at any time f. There is no force acting upon the particle in the direction of x-axis. The only external force acting upon the particle is its weight mg acting vertically DIRECTRIA downwards i.e., ‘parallel to y=u2/og the y-axis in the direction of y-decreasing. Therefore the equations of motion of the particle at P are wl) ge ...(2) Integrating (1), w@ get constant. But initially at the point of projection 0, we have © “aa Bx dx/dt=the horizontal component of the velocity at O=u cos a, throughout the motion of the projectile, we have dx/dt=1 COS &. (3) and dxidiDynamics Thus the horizontal velocity of a projectile remains constant i.e., ucos x throughout the motion. Integrating (3), we get x=(u cos «).t+A, where’ A is a constant. But at the point O, we have x=0 and :=0. A=0. x=(u cos a).t. «(4 The. equation (4) gives the horizontal displacement of the particle in time ¢. Again integrating (2), we get dy/dt=—gt-+C, where C is a constant. - But initially at O, t=0 and dy/dt—the vertical component of the velocity at O= sin a. <. usin C or C=u sin a. dy/dt=u sin 1—gt. «(5) The equation (5) gives the vertical component.of the velocity of the projectile at any time 1. Now integrating (5), we get u sin 2) t—4gt?-4 B, where B is a constant. ally at the point O, y=0 and t=0 so that B=0. y=(w sin «) t—4g0?. +-(6) The equation (6) gives the vertical displacement of the pro- jectile from the point of projection in time f. For a given value of y, say /i, the equation (6) is a quadratic in rand will give two values of ¢. If the values of ¢ are real and distinct, the’smaller value of ¢ will give the time for the projectile to be at a height A while rising upwards and the larger value will give the time for the projectile to be at a height h while falling downwards. The equations (3), (4), (5) and (6) determine completely the or=or<4a ie. i> or = or < 4a Ifz=4n, the y-voordinate of the focus becomes zero and then the focus isin the horizontal line OX. Directrix. The directrix of the trajectory is a line perpen’ cular to the axis of the parabola and so it is a horizontal line. The height of the directrix above the point of projection O =the height of the vertex A above O+4 latus rectum wsint x, 2! cost x es — Therefore the equation of the directrix of the parabola (1) is u?/2g. We observe that the equation of the directrix 1s independent of the angle of projection «. Therefore the trajectories of all the particles projected in the same vertical plane front the same point with the same velocity in different directions have the same directrix. ut 2 y in? ag (cost x-+sin x)Projectiles § 4. Time of flight, Horizontal range and Maxir-um height. Time of flight. The time taken by the particle from the point of projection to reach the horizontal plane through the point of projection again is called the time of flight. It is usually denoted by T. Inthe figure of § 2, the time of flight 7 is the time from Oto B. Initial vertical velocity at O is u sin « in the upward direction and the acceleration in the vertical direction is g acting vertically downwards. When the particle strikes the horizontal plane through O at the point B, its vertical displacement from O is zero. So considering the vertical motion from O to Band using the formula s=ut+} ft?, we have 0=(u sin a) T—3gT? or T (usin 2z—4gTJ=0 or Te SIRS, 8 (. 70] [Meerut 75, 83; Agra 85] This gives the time of flight. Horizonzal range. If B is the point where the projectile after projection from O, strikes the ground again, then OB is called the horizontal range. The horizontal range is usually denoted by R. To find the horizontal range R we consider the horizontal motion from O to B. The horizontal velocity remains constant and equal to w cos « during the motion from © to 8. Also the time from Oto Bis T. Therefore Ra(u cos a). T=u cos a 2eS8 2u? sin x cos u? sin 2x Thus R , . - 2g + Q) To find the locus of the point (/, &) for varying values of x, we have to eliminate « between (2) and (3). From (3), sin® a=2gk/u?. Squaring both sides of (2), we get sintlavoost x ah et jet’ sin’ x cos* x_ut sin? a yin f= ge (sin? 2) 4) Putting sin* z=2gk/u* in (4), we get a (1 3g) Uk (3, e uw ra or gh?=Wwk—4gk® or g (ht+4k4)= Quek or W4-4k?= nekjg. Generalising (h, &), we get the locus of the vertex~as the ellipse x84 4y?=2uty/g. §7. Some geometrical properties of a parabola. The following geometrical properties of a parabola will be often used while solving the problems on projectiles. uC 1. The distance of any point on a parabola from its focus is equal to its distance from the directrix. 2. The tangents at the extremities of any focal chord of a parabola intersect at right angles on the directrix. 3. The tangent xt any point on a parabola bisects the angle between the focal distance of the point and the perpendicular drawn from the point to the directrix. 4. The line joining the point of intersection of the tangents at the extremities of any chord of a parabola to the middle point of the chord is parallel to the axis of the parabola. Illustrative Examples Ex. 1. Ifa be the angle between the tangents at the extremities of any arc of a porabolic path, vy and y" the velocities at these extre- mities and u the velocity at the vertex of the path, show that the time for describing the arcis (vv' sin x)/(gu). | (Lucknow 1977) Sol. PQ is an arc of a parabolic path and A is its vertex. Suppose the tangents at the points P and @ to the parabola make angles 6 and ¢ respectively with the horizon‘al as shownProjectiles 9 in the figure. Since x is given to be the angle between the tan- gents at P and Q, therefore O4b+2=7 or O+h=m—a. The velocity of the particle at P is v and is along the tangent at P. The velocity at Q is v’ and is along the tangent at Q. The velocity at the vertex A is wand is along the tangent at 4 which is a horizontal line. Since the horizontal velocity of a projectile remains constant throughout the motion, therefore v cos @=u=v" cos 4. -(l) The vertical velocity at P=v sin 8, vertically upwards and the vertical veiocity at Q=yv’ sin ¢, vertically downwards. Let r be the time from Pto Q. Considering the vertical motion from P to Q and using the formula v=u+/r, we have —v' sin d= sin 0—gr, or gt=v sin O+y' sin 4. v sin +4" sing _uv sin @+ur’ sind e gu [multiplying the Nr. and the Dr. by x] _1™” sin @ cos g++’ cos @ sins gu [substituting suitably for w from (1)] i v’ sina gu” Ex.2. Ifat any instant the velocity of a projectile be u, and its direction of motion @ to the horizontal, then show that it will be moving at right angles to this direction after time (u/g) cosec 0. (Kanpur 1983)Dynamics Sol. Draw figure as in Ex. 1 by taking x=/2 and d=Jn—0, The velocity of the projectile at the point Pisu and its direction makes an angle @ with the horizontal. Let v be the velocity of the projectile at the point @ when it is moving at right angles to its direction at P. Obviously the tangent at Q to the path makes an angle }7—8@ with the horizontal. Since the horizontal velocity of a ptojectile remains constant throughout the motion, therefore ucos 6=1 cos (}7—0)=v sin 6. eal) The vertical.velocity at P is usin 6, vertically upwards and the vertical velocity at Q is v sin (47—8) i.e., v cos 6, vertically downwards. Let f be the time from P to Q. Considering the verti- cal motion from P to Q and using the formula v=u-+/?, we have —veos@=usiné—gt or gt=u sin 0+ cos 8. 1208 # cost) [substituting for » from (1)] 1 Wye 15 (usin 6-+¥ eos =2(u sin 04 os u u u “ye gsin 07g cosec 6. Ex. 3. Ifv, v2 be the velocities at the ends of a focal chord of a projectile’s path and u the velocity at the vertex of the path, 1 11 then show that tae (sin? 6+4-cos* 8)=. [Gorakhpur 1981; Kanpur 84) Sol. Let P and Q be the extremities of a foca! chord PSQ of a projectile’s path. [Draw the figure as in Ex. 1]. Suppose the tangent at P to.the path makes an angle @ with the. horizontal. Since the tangents at the extremities of a focal chord cut at right angles, therefore the tangent at Q to the path makes an angle 4n—8 with the horizontal. The velocity at P is », and is along the tangent at P. The velocity at Q is vz and is along the tangent at Q. The velocity at the veriex of the path is wand is in a horizontal direction. Since the horizontal velocity of a projectile remains constant throughout the motion, therefore 4 COS O= 2 COS (fm—8) =e Sin 0. cos (=. and sin o= 4 n Ya Squaring and adding, we get 2 ; 14 Shel or (44a)! or dtheg