ACAD WEEK 2: PROJECTILE MOTION

INTRODUCTION: When a ball is thrown against a vertical wall, as the ball hits the wall, it
returns to the ground tracing a path. If a stone is thrown from a height, it traces a path. This path
is shown below

STONE

The stone is the projectile while the path traced by the stone is called trajectory.
Projectile motion is therefore defined as the motion of a body in such a way that the body
covers both horizontal and vertical distance. A body undergoing projectile motion covers two
different motions
a) A constant horizontal motion
b) A vertically downward motion due to gravity.
TERMS USED IN PROJECTILE
1. TIME OF FLIGHT: This is the time taken for a body to move from the point of
projection down to the ground.
2. TIME TO REACH THE MAXIMUM: This is the time it takes a body to get to its
maximum height.
3. MAXIMUM HEIGHT: This is the maximum vertical distance covered by a body under
projectile motion. This motion is under gravity
4. RANGE: The range of a body is the horizontal distance covered by the body. This
motion is not under gravity.
DERIVATION OF EQUATIONS OF PROJECTILE MOTION
Consider a ball kicked by a player. The ball undergoes projectile motion as shown below

U
UY
Ɵ
U
U UX
Bringing out the right angled
ƟU

triangle
Resolving the initial velocity (u) in both vertical and horizontal, we will obtain
Ux = 𝑈𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
Uy = 𝑈𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
Time to reach the maximum height:
From first equation of motion 𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑎𝑡
V=0 at the maximum height and the u is a vertical component, therefore
𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 0 = 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ − 𝑔𝑡
𝑔𝑡 = 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
𝑡= 𝑔
TOTAL TIME OF FLIGHT
The total time of flight is twice the time it took the body to reach its maximum height
 2𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
Total time of flight = 𝑔
MAXIMUM HEIGHT
The maximum height reached by the body is a vertical component only, therefore the initial velocity will
be that of vertical (𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ)
1 1
From the equation 𝑠 = 𝑢𝑡 ± 2 𝑔𝑡 2 , the second part ( 𝑔𝑡 2 ) has to do with vertical height.
2
1
𝑠 = 𝑔𝑡 2
2
1 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
𝑠= × 𝑔 × ( 𝑔 )2
2
1 1
𝑠= × 𝑔 × 𝑢2 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 ɵ × 2
2 𝑔
𝑔×𝑢2 ×𝑠𝑖𝑛2 ɵ
𝑠=
2×𝑔×𝑔
𝑢2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 ɵ
𝑠=
2𝑔
RANGE
Range the maximum horizontal distance covered by a body. It is a horizontal component and as such uses
the horizontal component of U
𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
𝑅 = 𝑢𝑡, but 𝑢 = 𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑠ɵ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡 = 𝑔
.therefore
𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
𝑅 = 𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑠ɵ ×
𝑔
𝑅 = 𝑢 × 𝑢 × 𝑐𝑜𝑠ɵ × 𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ ÷ 𝑔
𝑢2 ×𝑐𝑜𝑠∅𝑠𝑖𝑛∅
𝑅= 𝑔
but 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ = 𝑠𝑖𝑛2∅
𝑢2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2∅
𝑅= 𝑔
Note : maximum range occurs at an angle of 450.
Solved example
1. A cannon ball was projected with an initial velocity of 80m/s at an angle 300 to the horizontal. Calculate
a) The time to reach the maximum height
b) The total time of flight
c) Maximum height reached
d) The range (g=10m/s2)
SOLUTION
𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛ɵ
Time to reach the maximum height 𝑡 = 𝑔
80×𝑠𝑖𝑛30
a) 𝑡 =
10
𝑡 = 4𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠

b) Total time of flight = 2 × 4 = 8𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠

𝑢2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 ɵ
c) Maximum height = 2𝑔
802 ×(𝑠𝑖𝑛30)2
Maximum height = 2×10
Maximum height = 80m

𝑢2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2∅
d) Range = 𝑔
802 ×𝑠𝑖𝑛2×30
Range = 10
Range = 554.26m
ASSIGNMENT
1) Define the following terms as relates to projectile motion (a) range (b) maximum height (c) total
time of flight.
2) A projectile is thrown at an angle 450 to the horizontal with an initial velocity of 120m/s.
calculate (a) the time to reach the maximum height (b) total time of flight (c) maximum height
reached (d) range