Projectile Motion

Independence of
Horizontal and Vertical
Motion
 ?

MOTION
One Dimension Two Dimension

Horizontal
Motion
Projectile
Vertical Motion
 ?

MOTION
Uniform Non-Uniform
Changing
Constant Speed Speed
Changing
Constant Velocity
Velocity Changing
Acceleration
NON UNIFORM MOTION

Object travels at different

distance in every time
interval.
NON UNIFORM MOTION
Examples:
• Car driving around the city
• The brakes applied to a
moving car
• A child running randomly
UNIFORM MOTION
The object
travels at the
same distance
in every time
interval.
UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED
MOTION (UAM) Horizontal
Dimension
UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED
MOTION (UAM)
Constant
change in its
velocity in a
given time
interval along
a straight line
 LET'S PUT
SOME MATH
WITH IT…
KINEMATIC EQUATIONS
v + 2ad

d
Examples
• 1. An airplane from rest accelerates on a runway
at 5.50 for 20.25 s until it finally takes off the
ground. What is the distance covered before take
off?

• 2. A train accelerates to a speed of 20 m/s over a

distance of 150 m. Determine the acceleration of
the train.
 UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED MOTION
(UAM) Vertical Dimension
• Earth’s gravity provides
a constant acceleration.
• Free-fall acceleration is
independent of mass.
• Magnitude: a = g = 9.8
m/s2
• Direction: always
downward a = -g = -9.8
m/s2
Free Fall

An object in free fall is only

acted on by gravity

Acceleration due to gravity is

-9.8 m/s2

– distance covered
increases with each
second
Free Fall

Follows speed and

time symmetry
 LET'S PUT
SOME MATH
WITH IT…
KINEMATIC EQUATIONS
v + 2ad

d
Examples
• 1. Zed is playing with a ball on top of the building
but the ball fell and hits the ground after 2.6 s,
what is the final velocity of the ball just before it
hits the ground and how high is the building?
• 2. The acceleration on the moon is 1.62 .If a ball
is dropped on the moon from a height of 1.50 m,
determine the time for the ball to fall to the
surface of the moon.
What is a Projectile?
Any object that continues in motion by its own
inertia and is influenced only by the downward
force of gravity
What is a Projectile?
- an object dropped from rest
- an object thrown straight upward
- an object thrown upward at an angle to the
horizontal
The path that the projectile
follows is a parabola
• the path is called its trajectory
Projectiles move in TWO
dimensions
Since a projectile
moves in 2-
dimensions, it
therefore has 2
components

Horizontal and
Vertical
 Projectile Motion Combines Vertical Motion and
Horizontal Motion
• The horizontal motion of a
projectile is not affected by its
vertical motion
- meaning: the projectile will travel
the same horizontal distance as it
would if it were simply rolling on a
flat surface in the absence of
friction
 Projectile Motion Combines Vertical Motion and
Horizontal Motion
• The vertical motion of a
projectile is not affected by
its horizontal motion
-meaning: The vertical
motion of a projectile
is identical to an
object in free fall
Horizontal “Velocity” Component
• NEVER changes, covers equal displacements in
equal time periods. This means the initial
horizontal velocity equals the final horizontal
velocity

In other words, the horizontal

velocity is CONSTANT. BUT
WHY?

Gravity DOES NOT work

horizontally to increase or
decrease the velocity.
 Vertical “Velocity” Component
• Changes (due to gravity), does NOT cover
equal displacements in equal time periods.

Both the MAGNITUDE and DIRECTION change. As the

projectile moves up the MAGNITUDE DECREASES
and its direction is UPWARD. As it moves down the
MAGNITUDE INCREASES and the direction is
DOWNWARD.
Combining the Components
Together, these
components produce
what is called a
trajectory or path.
This path is parabolic
in nature.

Component Magnitude Direction

Horizontal Constant Constant
Vertical Changes Changes
Horizontally Launched Projectiles
Horizontally Launched Projectiles
Projectiles which have NO upward trajectory and NO initial
VERTICAL velocity.
Vertically Launched Projectiles
 Vertically Launched Projectiles
NO Vertical Velocity at the top of the trajectory.

Vertical Velocity Vertical Velocity

decreases on increases on the
the way upward way down,
Horizontal Velocity
is constant

Component Magnitude Direction

Horizontal Constant Constant
Vertical Decreases up, 0
@ top, Increases
Changes
down
Projectile Motion and
Complementary Angles
• Different launch angles result in different horizontal
distances traveled by the projectile
▫ Same range is obtained from two different launching angles when
the angles add up to 90°.
 Object launched at an angle of 60 has the same range
as if it were thrown at an angle of 30.