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Conceptual Analysis: PROJECTILE MOTION

Open the website of Physics Education Technology (PhET)

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse
Choose the simulation entitled PROJECTILE MOTION and open the one entitled LAB. You will see this on your
screen:

Use the simulation to answer the following questions.

First, we have to ASSUME the following:

a. There is no air resistance. So DO NOT activate the Air Resistance Box.

b. The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2 (Earth’s value) so set Gravity to this value, unless
stated that it should be changed to another value.

Conceptual Questions:
1. FIX the INITIAL SPEED at 18 m/s.
a. Does the MAXIMUM height h increase, decrease or remains the same as the angle of
projection ϴo, increased from 25o to 90o?
Note: Insert screenshot of your results.

Credits: Mr Ivan Culaba of Ateneo de Manila University

Reference: 2020. PhET. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse.
This material was presented by Rose-Ann C. Mirambil to grade 9 science teachers of San Joaquin-Kalawaan High School during LAC session, 27 April 2023.
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b. What angle of projection results to the largest value of the MAXIMUM height?

c. What happens to value of the RANGE R, when the angle of projection is increased
from 25o to 90o? Does R continually increase, continually decrease, or is there an optimum
value of the angle?

d. What angle of projection results to the largest value of the MAXIMUM HORIZONTAL
DISPLACEMENT R?

e. Are there pairs of value of ϴo which result to the same value of R? Give two
examples.

f. Does the MASS of the object affect the values of h and R?

2. FIX the ANGLE OF PROJECTION at 60o

a. Does the value of h increase with increasing value of the INITIAL VELOCITY?

Time (s) Range (m) Velocity (d/t) height (m)

0
1
1.59
2
3

b. Does the value of h double or more than double, when the INITIAL VELOCITY is
doubled?

VELOCITY MAXIMUM HEIGHT COMPUTATION

CONCLUSION

Credits: Mr Ivan Culaba of Ateneo de Manila University

Reference: 2020. PhET. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse.
This material was presented by Rose-Ann C. Mirambil to grade 9 science teachers of San Joaquin-Kalawaan High School during LAC session, 27 April 2023.
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c. Does the value of R increase with increasing value of the INITIAL VELOCITY?

d. Does the value of R double or more than double, when the INITIAL VELOCITY is
doubled?

VELOCITY RANGE COMPUTATION

CONCLUSION

e. Does the MASS of the object affect the value of h and R?

VELOCITY AT 60 DEGREES VELOCITY AT 60 DEGREES

Height (h) Height (h)
Range (R) Range (R)
m cannon ball 17.60 kg m cannon ball 20.0 kg
Note: Insert screenshot of your results.

3. FIX the ANGLE OF PROJECTION at 60o and the INITIAL VELOCITY at 18 m/s.

a. What happens to the values of h and R when the value of g is less than 9.8 m/s2, say
8 m/s2?

g = 9.8 m/s2 g = 8 m/s2

time (s) height (m) Range (m) time (s) height (m) Range (m)
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3

Credits: Mr Ivan Culaba of Ateneo de Manila University

Reference: 2020. PhET. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse.
This material was presented by Rose-Ann C. Mirambil to grade 9 science teachers of San Joaquin-Kalawaan High School during LAC session, 27 April 2023.
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b. What happens to the values of h and R when the value of g is greater than 9.8
m/s2, say 12 m/s2?

g = 9.8 m/s2 g = 12m/s2

time (s) height (m) Range (m) time (s) height (m) Range (m)
0 0
1 1
2 2
3

4. Give a summary of the results of this activity using the Projectile Motion PheT simulation.

a. What is the effect of the initial velocity on h and R?

b. What is the effect of the angle of projection on h and R?

c. What is the effect of the mass on h and R?

d. What is the effect of g on h and R?

Do these conclusions conform to these equations? Explain your answer.

h = - (voy)2 /2g

R = -(vo2sin2ϴo)/g

Credits: Mr Ivan Culaba of Ateneo de Manila University

Reference: 2020. PhET. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse.
This material was presented by Rose-Ann C. Mirambil to grade 9 science teachers of San Joaquin-Kalawaan High School during LAC session, 27 April 2023.