Physics: Note 2

PROJECTILE MOTION: HORIZONTALLY LAUNCHED PROJECTILE

Projectile motion
A two dimensional motion where the only force is gravity. The object is called a
projectile, and its path is the trajectory

Newton's Law of Motion

1. First law of motion: Law of Inertia
A body acted on by no net force moves with constant velocity (which may be zero)
and zero acceleration
An object in motion will remain in motion, and an object at rest will remain at
rest, unless acted upon by a force
no external forces, no acceleration, velocity is constant

2. Second law of motion:  Law of Acceleration

If a net external force acts on a body, the body accelerates. The direction of
acceleration is the same as the direction of the net . The mass of the body times the
acceleration of the body equals the net force vector.
If there is an unbalanced force, there's an acceleration
The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the
amount of force applied
Net force is equal to mass times acceleration

Horizontally launched projectile

Any object that gets launched in a completely horizontal velocity to start with
1. The vertical and horizontal components of projectile motion are independent
from each other
2. In horizontally launched projectiles, the initial velocity is purely horizontal, thus
it has no vertical component (v0y is always equal to zero)
3. There is no force acting on the horizontal direction of projectile motion, thus
horizontal acceleration is equal to zero and the velocity (vx) is constant

Displacement
Similar to the displacement of vertical motion
Δx = voxt + 1/2gt2
Initial velocity
May have a value other than zero
different from vertical initial velocity

Acceleration
Acceleration for horizontal motion is not constant; It is not always - 9.8 m/s2. It may
be zero
vertical acceleration is different from horizontal acceleration

Time
Time is the same for the x and y direction
Thus, if you have the time for the vertical component, you can use it for the
horizontal component and find the missing variable
t = sqrt 2y/g

Sample problem: