What is Projectile motion: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Projectile motion is a form of motion experienced by a launched object. Ballistics (Greek: βάλλειν, romanized: ba'llein, lit. 'to throw') is the science of dynamics that deals with the flight, behavior and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, unguided bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.

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  1. G

    Projectile motion with air resistance

    Without air resistance, bodies travel in a parabola. What is the curve that is traveled when air resistance is included? I found that there are different air resistances, which curves would these types produce?
  2. M

    How Do You Calculate Projectile Motion for a Cannonball?

    Homework Statement A cannon has a launch speed of 500m/s and is aimed at a target 2.8km away. a. Write an equation for the maximum horizontal range of the cannon as a function of the launch angle theta. b. At what angle must the cannon be launched in order to hit the target? c. As viewed...
  3. S

    Kinematics: Projectile Motion, Constant Acceleration

    Please help. I think I may be over thinking this problem because it looks very simple. Homework Statement Determine the minimum initial velocity, v0, and corresponding angle, θ0 needed to kick the ball just over the 3m high fence. x = 6m y = 3m Homework Equations X: vx=v0x x = x0+v0xt v0x...
  4. QuantumCurt

    Projectile motion, find speed/time of football kick

    Homework Statement A football punter kicks the football at a 30.0 degree angle above the horizontal and just scores a field goal 40.0 meters away, where the horizontal bar is 3.50 meters above the ground. a. How long is the ball in the air before the goal is scored? b. What was the...
  5. M

    Projectile Motion Questions: Solving for Height, Velocity, and Time

    Homework Statement The information required is in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/Dt7F9pg.png There are four questions based on what is in the picture. The questions are: 1) Calculate how high above the ground the floor of the basket is before the can falls out of the basket. 2)...
  6. Alelin

    MHB Projectile Motion Lab: Solving Equations with Newton's Law and Experimental Data

    Hi there I need help with my lab to solve motion equations using Newtons law Basically I did my experiment based in projectile motion, one of the trial give me 88cm out of the ramp, like distance traveled, then the total horizontal length of the ramp was 111.5cm and the height 40cm, also the...
  7. I

    Volleyball Problem involving Projectile Motion

    Homework Statement A regulation volleyball court is L = 18.0 m long and a regulation volleyball net is d = 2.43 m high. A volleyball player strikes the ball a height h = 1.73 m directly above the back line, and the ball's initial velocity makes an angle theta = 40 degrees with respect to the...
  8. S

    Projectile motion car tires question

    Hi guys, I am really stuck with this homework question... The answer is 14.5 m/s but I do not know how to calculate it. A car has run into a fire hydrant and come to an abrupt stop. A suitcase tied to a rack on top of the car has been thrown off and has landed on the roadside 11.6 m away from...
  9. D

    Projectile motion while playing catch

    Homework Statement You are playing catch with a friend in the hallway of your dormitory. The distance from the floor to the ceiling is D, and you throw the ball with an initial speed v0=√(6gD). What is the maximum horizontal distance (in terms of D) that the ball can travel without bouncing...
  10. P

    Projectile Motion w/o Horizontal Givens

    Homework Statement A soccer player kicks a rock horizontally off a 40.0m-high cliff into a pool of water. If the player hear the sound of the splash 3.00s later, what was the initial speed given to the rock? Assume the speed of sound in air to be 343 m/s. I wrote down givens in the...
  11. P

    Projectile Motion without Initial Velocity

    Projectile Motion without Initial Velocity (Only time and angle given) Homework Statement A projectile is launched at an angle of 50° above the horizontal and it hits the ground in 12 seconds. a. Calculate the maximum height of the projectile. b. Find the range of the projectile...
  12. S

    General Basic Projectile Motion Question

    In projectile motion problems, where an object is thrown (not horizontally) off of a cliff, does only the cliff's height matter to this equation: y = v_y * (t) + (a * t^2)/2 What I'm confused about is the little bit of height gained by the object when it is first thrown off of the cliff...
  13. A

    Projectile motion of car driving off a cliff

    The question is - A 1200kg car drives off a cliff with a horizontal velocity of 30m/s and an upward vertical velocity of 15m/s. a) Neglecting air resistance, what is its horizontal and vertical velocity after 1s? b) What is the maximum height above the ramp the car reaches? I used - v =...
  14. M

    Projectile Motion: velocity and speed

    I came across this one problem that asked for speed and velocity and I was wondering what the speed is suppose to be. I read somewhere that its the magnitude to velocity. So I want to see if I am doing this right. A ball is launched off the top of a building. The initial velocity of the ball...
  15. K

    Air Resistance and Projectile Motion Assignment Task

    1. Hi, I'm currently in my second last year of high school (Australia) and my Physics assessment task is all about cars, however, a stimulus Item is the Movie Speed, long story short, I need to find the minimum angle required, including air resistance at a velocity of 30 m/s. 2. I have tried...
  16. P

    Projectile Motion: Formula for range for a given angle

    I was watching a YouTube video on projectile motion: It says that the range is given by the formula: d = v*cosθ*t It also says that the time to reach the maximum height is given by the formula: t = \frac{v*sinθ}{a} where v*sinθ is the initial vertical velocity Well, not...
  17. B

    Help with projectile motion problem

    I'm having some difficulty with a problem about projectile motion. Just some background about me: I'm just beginning an intro to physics course and I don't have much of a math/science background, so I apologize if I make any errors regarding equations and such. The problem: A boy kicks a...
  18. S

    Difficult projectile motion question

    Homework Statement A cricketer strikes the ball at a height of 1 metre. It passes over a fielder 7 metres from the ball at a height of 3 metres, and hits the ground 60 metres from the bat. How fast was the ball hit? The issue I have here is that after forming a quadratic in terms of tanα...
  19. B

    Projectile Motion: Solving for Optimal Cannon Angle in Avalanche Triggering

    A cannon with a muzzle speed of 1000 m/s is used to start an avalanche on a mountain slope. The target is 2000 m from the cannon horizontally and 800 m above the cannon. At what angle, above the horizontal, should the cannon be fired?
  20. S

    Projectile motion with mass height and range

    Hello all I have a question I was hoping someone could answer for my homework. A 78.0-kg boulder is rolling horizontally at the top of a vertical cliff that is h1 = 16 m above the surface of a lake, as shown in the figure below. The top of the vertical face of a dam is located d = 110 m from...
  21. P

    Projectile Motion in the movie Matrix?

    I need to prove that the scene where Neo jumps off the cliff in the Matrix is wrong. Obviously he can do that because he is not in this world. But using projectile motion, how would I prove that its wrong? Which equations do i need to use?
  22. A

    Physics Help- Projectile Motion?

    A baseball leaves the bat at a height of 1.23 m above the ground, traveling at an angle of 45.0 degrees with respect to the horizontal. The initial velocity of the ball is such that, for an unobstructed trajectory, it would land 120 m from the home plate. The ballpark fence is at a distance of...
  23. rakeru

    Deriving Projectile Motion Equations

    Homework Statement A projectile is fired from ground level at time t=0, at an angle of θ with respect to the horizontal. It has initial speed V0. Part A Find the time it takes the projectile to reach its maximum height. Express in terms of V0, θ, and g. Part B Find the time at...
  24. N

    Projectile Motion in 2d with Drag

    Homework Statement So, I'm building a "Monkey Gun" and I want to be able to find the instantaneous velocity of my dart at a certain time. I shoot the gun at some angle, θ. The problem is, if I divide the velocity into x and y components, each depends on and impacts the other (the force from...
  25. rakeru

    Finding Angles in Projectile Motion

    Homework Statement A fire hose held near the ground shoots water at a speed of 6.8 m/s. At what angle(s) should the nozzle point in order that the water land 2.0 m away? Why are there two different angles? ax=0 xo=0 x=2.0 m ay= 9.80 m/s/s y0=0 y= I'm guessing 0, because it lands on...
  26. powerof

    Projectile motion problem (find the angle) other ways?

    Homework Statement A soccer player is taking a penalty kick from a distance of 11 meters from a goal which is 2.44 m high (forgive the possible incorrect use of English, since I'm not a native speaker). Given an initial speed of the ball of 90 km/h (which is 25 m/s2) calculate the initial...
  27. G

    How can I accurately simulate projectile motion with variable factors?

    I have been looking into projectile motion equations and am struggling to find suitable ones that cover a projectile being launched at height. I know this sounds like homework, but it isn't. I am after trying to understand a 6 degree of freedom style taking into account terminal velocity...
  28. I

    Could projectile motion be used for mass transport?

    Discussion
  29. T

    Vertical Projectile Motion Problem

    Homework Statement A ball is projected vertically upward with a velocity of 30m/s. It strikes the ground after 8's. 1.1) Determine the height of the building 1.2) Find the height of the ball relative to the ground as well as its velocity at t=3 and t=5 1.3) At what time will its...
  30. D

    How Do You Calculate Angular Velocity at Maximum Height in Projectile Motion?

    Homework Statement We need to find angular velocity of a particle from point of launch at its maximum height. Particle is launched at θ angle wrt horizontal. Initial velocity is u. Only acceleration is gravity. Homework Equations All projectile equations i suppose ( h(max)=u2sin2/2g ...
  31. M

    Grade 11 Physics Projectile Motion Question

    Homework Statement A cannonball is launched at 90.0m/s at an angle of 60.0° above the horizontal from the top of a tower that is 38.0m high. How far away from the tower does it land if the ground is level?Homework Equations Vix=90.0m/s X Cos60 Viy=90.0m/x X Sin60The Attempt at a Solution I used...
  32. K

    Projectile motion sniper bullet question

    A sniper fires a bullet at 120 m/s at 30° above the horizontal from the roof top of a 35 m high parking garage. If the bullet strikes the level ground beside the parking garage: a.)How long was the bullet in the air? b.)How far from the base of the parking garage did the bullet land? c.)At...
  33. MarkFL

    MHB Lucky12213's question at Yahoo Answers regarding projectile motion

    Here is the question: Here is a link to the question: I need help with Trig/Physics? - Yahoo! Answers I have posted a link there to this topic so the OP can find my response.
  34. X

    What is the relation of sinθ and time in projectile motion with angle

    Homework Statement I am wondering what is the relation of sinθ & time of flight in projectile motion with angle. (under the case of same velocity) Is the graph of this in a parabola shape?? Homework Equations t = (2u sinθ) / g (u in constant) The Attempt at a Solution would it be...
  35. R

    Projectile Motion - Equivalent javelin throw performed on the moon

    Homework Statement Experts recommend a release angle of 35 degrees for javelin throwing, use this as the release angle. Determine what the length of the equivalent throw on the moon would be. Clearly communicate the procedure you followed, and fully justify your answer. Homework...
  36. A

    Projectile motion of car hitting the ground

    Homework Statement (Assume no friction) A car that has a mass of 3970 kg is accelerated from an initial velocity of 0 up a ramp that is 50 meters long (the hypotenuse) and has a height above the ground at the end of the ramp of 10 meters. The velocity of the car at the end of the ramp is 150...
  37. C

    What are the steps to solving a projectile motion problem?

    Homework Statement A ball is thrown at a speed of 22.2 m/s at an angle of 44.4° on to a flat level field. The ball leaves the thrower’s hand at a height of 1.88 m. (a) How long is the ball in the air, (b) how far from where the thrower stands does it hit the ground, and (c) what is the...
  38. K

    Projectile motion off a raised surface

    [b]1. Easy solution that I'm pretty sure I talked myself out of. Using a spring loaded shooter, first shoot it off a table and calculate data and then move to another table of a different height and shoot with an incline into a sandbox. Must hit within 10cm of line drawn in the sand. known...
  39. P

    2 dimensional projectile motion with rifle and bullet

    Homework Statement A rifle is aimed horizontally at a target 30m away. The bullet hits the target 1.9cm below the aiming point. what are the bullets time of flight and the initial velocity? Homework Equations ax=0 g=9.8m/s^2 x0=0m xf=30m y0=0m yf=.019m v0x=? vfx=0m/s v0y=0 vfy=0...
  40. 5

    Projectile motion problem (find angle theta)

    Homework Statement A projectile is launched from the ground with an initial velocity of 140m/s at an angle of θ above the horizontal. (assume AR is negligible and the ground is level) The time of flight is 18.7seconds and its range is 1.98*10^3 show that the launch angle θ is approximately...
  41. 5

    Projectile motion problem - tennis player hits a ball

    Homework Statement A tennis player hits a ball horizontally towards a net of height 0.90 meters, at an initial speed of 25m/s. The ball is hit at a height of 2.5 meters above the ground and at a horizontal distance of 15 meters from the net. Ignore the effects of air resistance and spin (a)...
  42. T

    Catching Football (Projectile Motion)

    Homework Statement In a football game, a quarterback passed a ball to a receiver while running at 1.5 m/s forward. The ball was released at a height of 2.5 meters with an angle of 45 degrees and an initial velocity of 20 m/s. The receiver ran from behind to catch the ball at a height of 2...
  43. Jadaav

    Proof of Projectile Motion: Displacement and Gravity Explained

    A body is thrown horizontally from a cliff with an initial horizontal speed. It hits the ground at a distance X from its initial position. It is said that the displacement = horizontal speed * time. When the body falls, gravity acts upon it. So why don't we consider gravity ? Any proof...
  44. U

    Projectile Motion 2.0- Drag in RL

    So I'm writing a Scientific Lab Inquiry (college research lab write up), and my professor pointed out a major error in my assumption of air/mathematics but I can't for the life of me figure out what is wrong or how to fix it. Attached is a copy of the paper in all it's glory/infamy. There's a...
  45. A

    Projectile Motion from table of values.

    Homework Statement A basketball was shot in the air. Use the following data to produce a horizontal position-time graph and a vertical position-time graph 1. Determine the initial velocity of the basketball. 2.What was the maximum height of the basketball. 3. What is the velocity of the...
  46. X

    Projectile motion ball thrown down vertically

    Homework Statement A ball is thrown vertically downward with a velocity of 30 ft from the top of a building. Find a.)What it's speed will be after falling 2 seconds b.)How far it will fall in 2 seconds c.)What will be its velocity after 30 ft d.)If the ball was released at 120 ft...
  47. J

    Projectile Motion: Solving for Velocity Components | Tower Launch

    Homework Statement A Projectile is launched from the top of a 100m tower and falls 20m below the bottom of the tower and 90m away in the x direction. Time of flight is 6 seconds. 1. Find the x component of the velocity of the object when it strikes the ground. 2. Find the y-component of...
  48. E

    Projectile Motion - confirmation on answer(s) needed

    Homework Statement "A marble rolls off a table with a horizontal velocity of 1.93m/s and onto the floor. The table is 76.5cm above the ground. Air resistance is negligible. Find the horizontal distance, the air time and the final velocity."Homework Equations Δdy=ViyΔt + 0.5ayΔt2 Rearranged...
  49. A

    Projectile Motion highest point

    Homework Statement At t = 0, a projectile is located at the origin and has a velocity of 20 m/s at 40° above the horizontal. The profile of the ground surface it strikes can be approximated by the equation y = 0.4x – 0.006x2, where x and y are in meters. Determine: (a) the approximate...
  50. A

    Projectile Motion distance problem

    Homework Statement At t = 0, a projectile is located at the origin and has a velocity of 20 m/s at 40° above the horizontal. The profile of the ground surface it strikes can be approximated by the equation y = 0.4x – .006x2, where x and y are in meters. Determine: (a) the approximate...
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