Projectile:

Throwing an object is called ‘Projectile’. When an object is thrown vertically

upward with an initial velocity ‘u’ then:

1 2
The vertical height: h=ut− g t .................. (a)
2

The final velocity: 2 2

v =u −2 gh .................. (b)

Vertical projectile:

When the object is thrown vertically upward, the velocity of the object has
only vertical component and no horizontal component. So the object gains a
vertical height but does not get horizontal displacement.

u
In vertical projectile, the angle with the horizon is 90 o. Thus the vertical
component of the velocity is: u sin θ=u sin 90

=u

The horizontal component of the velocity is: u cos θ=u cos 90

=0

Thus there is no horizontal velocity component for a vertical projectile.

Projectile with an angle θ: θ ≠ 90o

When the object is thrown with an angle , other than 90o, the object gains a
vertical height and at the same time it moves a horizontal displacement,
thus there are two components of the projected velocity.

The vertical component = u sinθ

The horizontal component = u cosθ

u sinθ u
h

θ B
O u cosθ
R
To calculate the height ‘h’ in the equation (a) ‘u’ will be replaced by ‘u sin θ’,
thus the equation becomes

1 2
h=u sinθ . t− g t ..................(c)
2
This height ‘h’ is any height after‘t’ seconds.

Example: An object is thrown with a velocity 30ms -1 and with an angle 40 o

with the ground. Calculate: (g = 9.81ms-2)

i) The height gained in 1.5 second.

ii) The height after 6 second.
1 2
i) h=u sinθ . t− g t
2

h = 30.(sin40)1.5 – (0.5)9.81(1.5)2

= 28.93 – 11.04

h = 17.89 m

1 2
ii) h=u sinθ . t− g t
2

= 30 (sin40)6 – (0.5)9.81(62)

= 115.7-176.58

h = -60.88 m

The answer is negative it indicates that the object will drop before 6
seconds.

The maximum height gained by the object:

At the maximum height the final velocity becomes zero. Thus:

2 2
v =u −2 gh

2
0=u −2 gh
 2
u
h= ....................(a)
2g

For the projectile with the angle θ the ‘u’ will be replaced by ‘u sinθ’. Thus
the equation becomes:

2 2
u sin θ
h max= .................... (b)
2g

TO FIND THE TOTAL TIME IN THE AIR:

The equation for the projectile:

1 2
h=u sinθ . t− g t ........................(c)
2

When the object is landed (dropped) the height ‘h’ = 0.

1 2
Thus: 0=u sinθ . t− g t
2

1 2
g t =u sinθ .t
2

2u sinθ
t= ................. (d)
g

Horizontal Displacement:

The horizontal Displacement of a projectile depends on the horizontal

component of the velocity which is ‘u cosθ’, in the horizontal direction there
is no force acting (The air friction is negligible and the gravitational force is
not horizontal) thus the object moves with a constant velocity.
 d
V= ................. (e)
t

d
u cosθ= Or d=(u cos θ). t
t

Distance d is the any distance after‘t’.

To calculate the total distance which is called range the total time must be
put in the equation.

R=ucos θ . t

( ucos θ ) (2 usinθ)
R=
g

2
u sin 2θ
R= ........................... (f)
g

Projectile Angle with the horizon after ‘t’ second:

After time ‘t’ seconds, the angle of the velocity with horizon changes.
Suppose the new velocity after t second is u ' and the angel with horizon is θ '
. Thus its vertical component and horizontal components are:
u
θ'

θ
i) Horizontal component = u`Cos θ'

ii) Vertical component = u` Sin θ'

But initially the horizontal component was = u cos θ and the

horizontal component remains constant. Thus: u`Cos θ' = u cos θ

The vertical velocity component changes due to gravitational force.

When an object is thrown vertically upward then after ‘t’ second its velocity
becomes v=u−¿ Thus after time ‘t’ second the vertical component of
the projectile becomes: u`sin θ' = u sin θ – gt. Thus the angle θ' is

u sinθ−¿
tan θ =
u cosθ

Projectile velocity after ‘t’ second:

The angle for the maximum range:

The projectile from a specific device, the initial velocity ‘u’ is constant, and
also the gravitational acceleration ‘g’ is constant, thus the range depends on
the projectile angle ‘θ’
The range is directly proportional to the ‘sin2θ’. Range ‘R’ will be a maximum
when the sin2θ is a maximum. The maximum value of sin2θ is 1.

sin 2 θ=1

o
sin 2 θ=sin 90

o
2 θ=90

o
θ=45 ……………………. (h)

u sinθ u
h

45o B
O u cosθ
R

Calculate the missing terms:

 i) u = 25ms-1 R = 25m θ = ................ hmax =......................
ii) u =................. θ = 30o hmax = 25m R =...................

Projectile from a vertical height:

When an object is projected from a vertical height it follows a curved path.

Here it is considered that the object is projected horizontally, so θ =0o

uy = 0
ux

u cosθ = ux

u1
h u sin θ=¿

x u cosθ=
ux

u2
u sinθ
An object of mass ‘m’ is projected, horizontally with an initial velocity ‘u’
from a vertical height ‘h’. Then:

The horizontal component of the velocity = u cos θ

 The vertical component of the velocity = u sin θ

It is considered that the air friction is negligible so the horizontal component

of the velocity is constant, the gravitational force acts vertically so the
vertical component of the velocity changes.

The horizontal component and the vertical component are independent

of each other, i.e. one component is not affecting the other component.

Therefore when an object is dropped and another is projected horizontally

from the same height, initially they both have same vertical component
ux = 0. Thus both the objects, projected and dropped will take the same
time to reach the ground.

1 2
It is known that: h=ut + g t
2

(√ 2gh )
1 2
As the initial velocity is zero so: h= g t t= ...... (a)
2

This is the dropping time, for both the objects. The horizontal distance ‘x’
will be travelled by the horizontal velocity component u cosθ, and it is
constant so:

x
u cosθ= .......................... (b)
t

x=¿ u cosθ . t

x=u cosθ . (√ 2gh )

The final velocity after‘t’ second will be:
 v=¿ ............ (c) as the vertical velocity, (u) initially was
zero when dropped.

V = √ u 2+ ( ¿ ) 2 ..................... (d)

The two components of the velocity of a projectile are independent of each

other, each component acts separately. So in a projectile the vertical
component is affected by the gravitational force and the horizontal
component is not affected and it remains constant as air friction is negligible.
Thus at the highest point the vertical component of the velocity becomes
zero but the horizontal component remains constant, thus it moves forward
and falls at the same time, so the object follows a path like a parabola.

u sinθ =0 A
u cosθ ≠ 0
u sinθ u
h
θ B
O u cosθ
R

When a balloon is fired like a projectile the air friction is not negligible.
Both the components decrease and the balloon moves straight up to a
height at the top most point both of it velocity component is Zero and then
the balloon falls vertically.

u sinθ =0

u cosθ = 0

u sinθ
u