Describing

Projectiles with
numbers:
(horizontal and
vertical velocity)
Consider again the cannonball launched by a cannon from the
top of a very high cliff. suppose that the cannonball is launched
horizontally with no upward angle whatsoever and with an
initial speed of 20 m/s.

Horizontal Vertical
Time
Velocity Velocity
0s 20 m/s, right 0
1s 20 m/s, right 9.8 m/s, down
2s 20 m/s, right 19.6 m/s, down
3s 20 m/s, right 29.4 m/s, down
4s 20 m/s, right 39.2 m/s, down
5s 20 m/s, right 49.0 m/s, down
• But what if the projectile is launched upward at an angle to the horizontal?
How would the horizontal and vertical velocity values change with time?
How would the numerical values differ from the previously shown diagram
 for a horizontally launched projectile?
TWO KEY PRINCIPLES OF PROJECTILE
MOTION
• Two key principles of projectile motion - there is a horizontal
velocity that is constant and a vertical velocity that changes by
9.8 m/s each second. As the projectile rises towards its peak, it is
slowing down (19.6 m/s to 9.8 m/s to 0 m/s); and as it falls from
its peak, it is speeding up (0 m/s to 9.8 m/s to 19.6 m/s to ...)
PROJECTILE LAUNCHED HORIZONTALLY
SAMPLE PROBLEM
• A pool ball leaves a 0.60-meter high table with an
initial horizontal velocity of 2.4 m/s. Predict the time
required for the pool ball to fall to the ground and the
horizontal distance between the table's edge and the
ball's landing location.
PROBLEM 1
• A soccer ball is kicked horizontally off a 22.0-meter
high hill and lands a distance of 35.0 meters from the
edge of the hill. Determine the initial horizontal
velocity of the soccer ball.
PROBLEM 2
• A ball is kicked horizontally at 8.0 m/s
from a cliff of 80m high. How far from the
base at the cliff will the stone strike the
ground?
 ANSWER
Horizontal Info: Vertical Info:
x = 35.0 m y = -22.0 m
vix = ??? viy = 0 m/s
ax = 0 m/s/s ay = -9.8 m/s/s

Use y = v • t + 0.5 • a  • t  to solve for time; the time of flight

iy  y
2

is 2.12 seconds.
Now use x = v • t + 0.5 • a • t  to solve for v
ix  x 
2
ix

Note that a  is 0 m/s/s so the last term on the right side of the
x

equation cancels. By substituting 35.0 m for x and 2.12 s for t,

the v  can be found to be 16.5 m/s.
ix