Horizontal component of projectile motion

In summary, when dealing with projectile motion, it is common to assume that there is no air resistance and the range is small enough to ignore the curvature of the earth. This allows for the trajectory to be approximated as a parabola, with the horizontal component of velocity remaining constant. This information can be useful in solving problems involving a thrown object's velocity and distance traveled.
  • #1
BogMonkey
76
0
Unless there wind resistance do you always treat the horizontal velocity of a projectile as constant?
 
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  • #2
In addition to no air resistance, the other assumption is that the range is small enough so you can ignore the curvature of the earth, and make a flat Earth approximation. That's what takes a trajectory that's really an ellipse and approximates it as a parabola. Then the horizontal component of velocity will be constant.
 
  • #3
Thanks. I got a question on a test a while ago where I knew the velocity a ball was thrown horizontally off a roof and knew how far the ball went before it landed but I couldn't do the question because I was convinced horizontal velocity wasn't constant. Ah well now I know.
 

Related to Horizontal component of projectile motion

1. What is the horizontal component of projectile motion?

The horizontal component of projectile motion is the motion of an object in the horizontal direction, which is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. This component is influenced by the initial velocity and remains constant throughout the motion.

2. How is the horizontal component of projectile motion calculated?

The horizontal component of projectile motion can be calculated using the formula: horizontal velocity = initial velocity * cos(angle) where the initial velocity is the magnitude of the initial velocity and the angle is the angle of projection with respect to the horizontal axis.

3. Is the horizontal component of projectile motion affected by air resistance?

In ideal conditions, the horizontal component of projectile motion is not affected by air resistance as there is no force acting in the horizontal direction. However, in real-world scenarios, air resistance may have a small impact on the horizontal motion of a projectile.

4. What happens to the horizontal component of projectile motion if the angle of projection is changed?

The horizontal component of projectile motion is directly affected by the angle of projection. If the angle is increased, the horizontal component will also increase and the projectile will travel a longer horizontal distance. On the other hand, if the angle is decreased, the horizontal component will decrease and the projectile will travel a shorter horizontal distance.

5. How does the horizontal component of projectile motion relate to the vertical component?

The horizontal and vertical components of projectile motion are independent of each other. This means that the horizontal motion does not affect the vertical motion and vice versa. Both components are influenced by the initial velocity and angle of projection, but they follow different paths during the motion.

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