APPLIED PHYSICS

LAB REPORT-2
School: SEECS Section: EE-14-B

Semester: Fall 2022 ( 1st Semester )

Name CMS ID

Ameen Ahmed 405356

Nalain Abbas 405283

Hasnain Ali 406470

Umair Ajmal 407208

M. Murtaza Baig 423785

 Lab 2: Mini Launcher
Experiment#1: Projectile Motion

Abstract:
The experiment is performed to predict and verify the range of a ball launched at an
angle. The initial velocity of the ball is determined by shooting it horizontally and measuring the
range and height of the launcher.

Apparatus:
 Mini launcher
 Measuring tape or meter stick
 Papers
 Ball
 Carbon paper
 Tapes
 Plumb bob

Theory:
To predict the range of the ball it is necessary to determine the initial velocity of the
ball. This can be done by launching the ball horizontally off the table and measuring the vertical
distance from the muzzle to the surface of the table and horizontal distance through which the
ball travels. Then the initial velocity can be used to calculate the range of the ball at any angle.
In short, in order to predict the range of the ball initial speed (𝑣𝑜 ) must be calculated.

We will calculate the initial velocity of the ball by using formula given below:

𝜒 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃𝑡 …………. (1)

Here we don’t have time so time would be calculated by using the formula given below:
1
𝑦 =𝑦𝑜 + 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃𝑡 − 2 𝑔𝑡 2 …………. (2)

First we will find initial speed at 𝜃 = 0𝑜 . Further by using initial speed we can predict the range
at different angles. And then by measuring the actual range, percentage error in range can be
calculated by using a formula.
𝑥 𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 −𝑥 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
% 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 ….. (3)
𝑥 𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
Part A: Determining the initial velocity of the ball
Procedure:
1. Set the mini launcher at some height “ 𝑦𝑜 ” from the table, record the height and
marked the point at the table vertically down from the muzzle of mini launcher and
then launch the ball at 𝜃 = 0° .
2. Fire one shot to locate where ball hits the floor. At this position tape a piece of white
paper and then tape a piece of carbon paper on top of paper. When ball hit the floor it
will leave a mark on the white paper.
3. Fire about 5 shots
4. Measure the distance from the mark to the leading edge of the paper and record it.
5. Measure the distance from the leading edge of the paper to each five shots and record
it.
6. Find the average of the five distances from the leading edge of the paper and record
it.
7. Add the average to the Calculated horizontal distance from the mark to the leading
edge of the paper.
8. As 𝜃 = 0°, Eq (1) and Eq (2) will be modify as:

𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡……………..(4)

2𝑦 𝑜
𝑡= ……………(5)
𝑔

9. Using the vertical distance and the average horizontal distance, we can calculate the
time and initial velocity of the ball.

Table 1: Determining the initial velocity

Vertical Distance: 43 cm

Horizontal distance to paper edge: 79.1 cm

Trial Number Distance (cm)

1 12.8

2 12.2

3 12.3

4 12.7

5 13.5
 1. Average of the distances measured from the leading edge of the paper to each shot is:

12.8 + 12.2 + 12.3 + 12.7 + 13.5

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 𝑐𝑚
5

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 12.7𝑐𝑚

2. The total average distance from the mark under the muzzle of mini launcher to shots
on the paper is given as. It is also denoted by x in below equations.

𝑥 = 79.1 + 12.7 𝑐𝑚

𝒙 = 𝟗𝟏. 𝟖 𝒄𝒎

3. To calculate time of flight “𝑡”, put all the required values in Equation (5):

2 × 0.43
𝑡=
9.8

𝒕 = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟗𝟔 𝒔

4. Now put all the required values in Equation (4) to find the initial velocity of the ball.

𝑥
𝑣𝑜 =
𝑡
0.918
𝑣𝑜 = 𝑚𝑠 −1
0.296

𝒗𝒐 = 𝟑. 𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝒎𝒔−𝟏

Part B: Predicting the range of the ball shot at an angle

Procedure:

1. Adjust the mini launcher at 𝜃 = 30° above the horizontal. Record this angle.
2. Using the initial velocity and vertical distance found in the first part of this
experiment. Calculate the new time of flight and new horizontal range for a projectile
launched at angle 30 degrees.
3. Shoot the ball five times.
4. Measure the distance from the mark to the leading edge of the paper and record it.
5. Measure the distance from the leading edge of the paper to each five shots and record
it.
6. Find the average of the five distances from the leading edge of the paper and record
it.
7. Add the average to the Calculated horizontal distance from the mark to the leading
edge of the paper.
8. Then find the percentage error between the calculated and theoretical range.
 Tables and Calculations

Time of flight of projectile at 𝜽 = 𝟑𝟎°

 As Equation (2) is the Quadratic function of time. By factorizing The Equation (2),
we can get:
𝑣𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 ∓ 𝑣𝑜2 (𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃)2 + 2𝑔𝑦𝑜
𝑡=
𝑔

 By putting all the required values in above equation, we get

(3.101) sin 30° ∓ [3.101 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛(30)]2 + 2 × 9.8 × 0.43

𝑡=
9.8

1.408 ∓ 3.23
𝑡=
9.8

 As we know time cannot be negative, therefore we eliminated negative sign from

above equation.
𝒕 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟕𝟑 𝒔

 Now we will use the value of "𝑡"in Equation (1) to find the theoretical range of the
ball launched at 30 degree from the horizontal.

𝑥𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 = (3.101) × cos(30)× (0.473) 𝑚

𝒙𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 = 𝟏. 𝟐𝟕 𝒎

Table 1: Determining the Calculated Range

Vertical Distance: 43 cm
Horizontal distance to paper edge: 120.2 cm

Trial Number Distance (cm)

1 14.6

2 14.7

3 14.9

4 14.4

5 14.8
  Average of the distances measured from the leading edge of the paper to each shot is:

14.6 + 14.7 + 14.9 + 14.4 + 14.8

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 𝑐𝑚
5

𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 = 𝟏𝟒. 𝟔𝟖 𝒄𝒎

 The Calculated range from the mark under the muzzle of mini launcher to shots on
the paper is given as the sum of average and the horizontal distance to paper edge.

𝑥𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 = 120.2 + 14.68 𝑐𝑚

𝒙𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 = 𝟏𝟑𝟒. 𝟖𝟖 𝒄𝒎

Percentage Error:

 To Calculate the percentage Error, we will use the Equation (3)

134.88 𝑚 − 1.27 𝑚
% 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 =
1.27 𝑚

%𝑬𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 = 𝟔. 𝟐%

Results and conclusions:

The percentage difference in range of projectile is found to be 6.2% when the angle is
inclined at 30 degree.

Experiment#2: Range Versus Angle

Abstract:
The purpose of this experiment is to find out the relation between the range
and the angle at which it launched from the min launcher. The angle that gives the greatest
range is determined for two cases: Launching on the level and launching off the level.

Apparatus:

 Mini launcher
 Measuring tape or meter stick
 Papers
 Ball
 Carbon paper
 Tapes
 Plumb bob
Theory:
The range is the horizontal distance between the muzzle of the launcher and the place
where it lands. The range is given by 𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃𝑡 where "𝑣𝑜 "is the initial speed of the
ball as it leaves the muzzle, ”𝜃"is the angle of inclination with respect to x-axis, and t is
the time of flight.

Tables and Calculations

Off the level
Angle 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

1 107.6cm 125.4cm 134.8cm 135.2cm 123.8cm 98.9cm 69cm 38cm

2 107.1cm 126cm 134.8cm 135.8cm 123.8cm 98.9cm 72.4cm 38.2cm

3 108.4cm 126.2cm 134.8cm 135.8cm 124cm 98.9cm 73.6cm 38.8cm

Average 107.7cm 125.9cm 134.8cm 135.6cm 123.9cm 98.9cm 71.7cm 38.3cm

Graph
 On the Level

Angle 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

1 48.9cm 87.1cm 100.8cm 100.8cm 86.2cm 64.8cm 36.8cm

2 49.7cm 87.6cm 100.8cm 100.8cm 86.8cm 64.5cm 36.1cm

3 49.7cm 88.9cm 99.7cm 100.8cm 87cm 65.6cm 36.4cm

Average 49.4cm 87.9cm 100.4cm 100.8cm 86.7cm 64.9cm 36.4cm

Graph
Discussion and Conclusions:

From the above experiment we can conclude that there is some sort of variable relation
between the angle and the range of the projectile by analyzing the fact that the range of
the projectile initially increases with the inclination in angle initially and after a particular
point it start decreasing however angle is still increasing yet showing an inverse relation
after that point which is basically peak point on the graph. As far as I understand that
there is a direct relation between angle and range initially, showing that range increases
with increase in angle. But, after a peak point it start decreasing.

In our case The maximum range is on 40 degree angle ( Off the table) and approximately
50 degree angle ( On the table) which are the turning points on the graphs. If we further
increases our angle range of the projectile start decreasing.

According to our observation and calculation it is seen that the range of projectile
maximum if we launched the ball in case of off the table. Because I think it’s an influence
of gravity over the period which act as a resistive force along vertical axis and cause
damping along vertical axis at the same time air resistance is also causing damping along
horizontal axis. But, in case of off the table the range of projectile solely depends upon
the angle of projection, initial velocity and the time period. In case of off the table air
resistance is playing its role of damping but the factor of gravitational pull reduced. That
is why, I think the range of off the table is maximum than On the table.