RCET
Free Fall and Projectile Motion
Free Fall Motion
• A uniformly accelerated motion at the
vertical axis
• An object in free fall motion is
accelerated due to gravity that has a
constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s2
directed downward. (g = -9.8 m/s2 ≈
10 m/s2)
• For dropped objects, the initial velocity
(vi) is zero while an object thrown
upward will also have a velocity of zero
at its highest point of flight.
• Sign convention is required. Negative
sign for vectors directed downward and
positive sign for vectors directed
upward.
• Equations used:
vf = vi + g t
vf2 = vi2 + 2 g d
𝟏
d = vi t + 𝟐 g t 2
Sample Problem:
A brick is dropped from the roof of a building.
The brick strikes the ground in 2.50 s. a) How
tall, in meters, is the building? b) What is the
magnitude of the brick’s velocity upon hitting
the ground?
MATH & SCIENCE REVIEW AND TUTORIAL CENTER
Projectile Motion
• Refers to the motion of an object
projected into the air near the Earth’s
surface and subjected to the downward
acceleration of gravity.
➢ Trajectory is the path of
projectile.
➢ Projectile refers to the object in
projectile motion.
• Projectile motion is motion in two-
dimensions:
➢ On the x-axis, the object moves
with uniform motion.
➢ On the y-axis, the object moves in
uniform acceleration (free fall).
Sample Problems:
1. A car company is conducting research
on the suspension of a car model they
manufactured. A prototype car is
moving 20 m/s towards the edge of a
cliff that is 20 meters in height. The car
then undergoes a projectile motion and
falls to the bottom of the cliff. Calculate
the time the car is in the air? Determine
the horizontal distance traveled before
the car touch the ground.
2. A golfer hits a ball and gives it an initial
velocity of 40 m/s, at an angle of 30º
above the horizontal.
a. How long does the ball stay in the
air?
b. How far horizontally (the range)
does the ball travel before hitting the
ground?