PROJECTILES AND

TRAJECTORY
SCIENCE 9
ACTIVITY

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Complete the table below:

dy % error
Trial d1x(m) t1(s) vx(m/s) d2x(m) t2(s) dy (computed)
(measured) dy

1                

2                

3                

Average                

horizontal velocity (vx = d1x/t1 )

the time when the ball leaves the edge of the table (t2= d2x/vx )
vertical distance (dy= -1/2gt2 )
percentage of error

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QUESTIONS:
1. What factors can affect the value of the horizontal velocity of the ball? 

2. Is there any difference between the measured and computed value or vertical distance?

3. How can the horizontal distance covered by the ball increase?

4. What are the factors that affect the motion of a projectile launched horizontally?

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Trajectory 
The activity that you just did shows that the maximum height (dy) of the projectile can be calculated using
the equation: 

While the horizontal distance (dx) traveled by the projectile can be calculated using this equation:

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There are two components of the velocity of the projectile, namely the horizontal and
vertical components. The horizontal component (vx) is constant while the vertical
component (vy) may have variations. The actual velocity (vR) is represented by the
resultant vectors that form the diagonal rectangle formed by the vertical and horizontal
components.

A diagram showing the horizontal (vx)

and vertical (vy) components together
with the actual velocity (vR)
 
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Take a look at the sample problems below to understand how the maximum height and
horizontal distance traveled by a projectile can be calculated. 
Sample Problem 1
• Peter threw a ball horizontally out of the window with a velocity of 3.5 m/s. The
window is located 5.0 m above the ground. How far do you think will be the distance
traveled by the ball before it hits the ground? 

 
Then, 
dx= Vixt 
dx = (3.5 m/s) (1.0 s) 
dx = 3.5 m 

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Sample Problem 2
Maria practices darts daily for her school competition. She predicts that she can hit the bullseye measuring
5.0 cm wide at a distance of 2.0 meters if she throws the dart horizontally at a speed of 20 m/s. She throws
the dart at the same height as the bullseye. Do you think she can hit the mark? 

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page 9
Read the problems carefully and answer them on a separate
sheet of paper. Include your complete solution in your answer
sheet.
1. Zara uses a hose to water her garden plants. She holds the hose 0.75 m above the ground so that the
water can hit the plants which are 2.0 m away from her. At what speed does the water leave the hose
that Zara holds? 
horizontal velocity (vx = d1x/t1 )
vx = 5.13 m/s

2. Emergency relief supplies was dropped from a helicopter flying at a height of 7.5 m while traveling at 15
m/s. Calculate the horizontal distance traveled by the package before it hits the ground. 

dx = 18.6 m/s

3. Francis puts an egg on the table but it rolls at a speed of 0.5 m/s and falls off the table. The egg landed 3
m away from the edge of the table. From what height did the egg fall?

dy = 176.4 m/s

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ACTIVITY
Materials:
• three rubber bands (different colors)
• ruler or tape measure

Procedure: 
1. Pick one rubber band and stretch it with your index finger and thumb.
2. Rest your hand on the floor.
3. Release the rubber band by lowering your thumb. 
4. Measure and record how far the rubber band went.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 using the two other rubber bands left but do this at different angles. 

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 Rubber band color Horizontal distance traveled (meters)

   

   

   

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QUESTION:
What have you observed from the activity? What do you think affected the horizontal
distance traveled by the rubber band?

 The angle of release and stretch of the rubber band affected the horizontal distance
covered once it was flicked.

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How Can You Change the Motion of the Projectile?
Launching at an Angle
The answer to the previous activity is that the angle of release affects the distance traveled by the rubber band. But how
does this happen? 
Trajectories have two quantities associated with them. Aside from being the highest point, a projectile can reach in its
trajectory, the maximum height is the point wherein the projectile reaches zero vertical velocity. On the other hand, the
range is the maximum distance traveled by a projectile in its trajectory. The time spent by a projectile in its trajectory
as it rises and falls is called flight time. Look at the diagram below. It shows the maximum height and range traveled by
the golf ball. 

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Materials:
• five rubber bands (different colors)
• ruler or tape measure
• protractor

Procedure: 
• 1. Pick one rubber band and hold it stretched with your index finger and thumb (finger gun position).
• 2. Rest your hand on the floor or table. Make sure you are aiming to launch the rubber 
• 3. Release the rubber band by lowering your thumb. 
• 4. Measure and record how far the rubber band went.
• 5. Repeat steps 1-4 using the three other rubber bands left but this time do it at different angles. Use the
protractor to help you measure the angles 30°, 45°, 60°, 90° 

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 Rubber band color Angle of release Horizontal distance traveled
(meters)

   30°  

   45°  

   60°  

   90°   

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 Motions  in  two  dimension
 Who experience different types of motions  in our daily activities.  free fall and projectile
motions are two of these motions. freefall refers to the motion of objects which are
influenced only by gravitational force.  the direction of force may be upward or
downward.  projectile motion, on the other hand,  refers to the motion of objects which
are given an initial velocity  and follow a parabolic path.  if the effect of air resistance is
negligible, then the objects called projectiles are also in a state of free fall.

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Two kinds of motion
Free falling motion
•  Have you ever wondered why objects tend to fall towards the earth? what causes these
objects to behave that way? suppose that a ball is held above the ground and released.
you will observe that the ball will fall downward toward the ground.  the reason for this
is gravitational force, or the pull of the earth. in this type of motion, the ball is
considered to be freely falling if the effect of air resistance is negligible.
•
Free fall is the motion of an object when it is falling under the sole influence of
gravity.  although the word freefall suggests the downward movement of objects when
simply dropped, It can also apply to objects that are thrown upward, provided that only
the force of gravity acts on them. thus, objects thrown upward or downward are both
considered to be in free fall motion.

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 The motion of falling objects
 An object that is initially at rest, when dropped,  gains velocity.  the gain in velocity is
because of acceleration due to gravity this acceleration due to gravity (g)  has an
approximate magnitude of 9.80 m/s2 and its direction is downward or towards the center
of the earth. the motion of a free falling object can be described using the uniformly
accelerated motion formulas.  all objects that go upward is considered negative (-)  and
all objects that go to the direction of the force of gravity downward is positive (+)

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 the displacement of falling objects can be solved using the equation.

2
 
g𝑡
𝑑 =𝑣 𝑖 𝑡 +
2

The final velocity of falling objects can be solved using the equation:

2 2
(𝑣 𝑓 ) = (𝑣𝑖 ) + 2 𝑔 𝑑
 
 An object will have a negative acceleration
if its direction is against the force of gravity.
on the other hand,  an object will have
positive acceleration if it is along the
𝑣 𝑓 = 𝑣 𝑖+ 𝑔 𝑡
 
direction of the force of gravity.

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Analyze the given example
PROBLEM 1
•  

Johnroi  was challenged to dive from a bridge.  starting from rest he jump off the bridge
that is 7.0 m above the water.

1.  How long would it take Jhonroi  to   reach the water?

2.  How fast must be his velocity right before he would have touched the water?

Given: Find:
 

a) t b)
0  m/s
  m
 
2𝑑
𝑡=
𝑔√ 𝑣 𝑓 =𝑣 𝑖+ 𝑔 𝑡
 

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Solve the given problem
A student drops a ball from the top of a tall building; the ball takes 2.8 s to reach the
ground. (a) What was the ball’s speed just before hitting the ground? (b) What is the
height of the building?

A) What was the ball’s speed just before hitting the ground?

 𝑣 =𝑣 𝑖 + 𝒈𝒕

B) What is the height of the building?

  𝟏 𝟐
𝒉=𝒗 𝒊 𝒕 + 𝒈 𝒕
𝟐

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A) What was the ball’s speed just before hitting the ground?

• We can find the ball’s speed just before hitting the ground from the kinematic equation:

 𝑣 =𝑣 𝑖 + 𝒈𝒕

• Here, v is the ball’s speed just before hitting the ground, Vo Is the initial velocity of the ball ( since initially the ball
start falling from rest it will be equal to zero), g =9.8m/s2 Is the  acceleration due to gravity ( we take the downward
as the positive direction,  so the acceleration due to gravity will be  with sign plus)  and t is the time that  needs the
ball to reach the ground.
 
Then,  we get

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B) What is the height of the building?

We can find the height of the building from another kinematic equation:

 = 38.42m

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