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DL: Project 4.2.1 Straight Line Motion

PLTW ENGINEERING

​Activity 4.2.2

Projectile Motion
​Distance Learning Support

Check with Your Teacher about

What work you need to turn in and
how to submit it

GOALS

Describe free-fall motion of a

projectile as having constant
velocity in the horizontal direction
and uniformly accelerating motion
in the vertical direction.
Calculate distance, displacement,
speed, and velocity from data.
Determine the angle needed to
launch a projectile a specific range
given the projectile’s initial
velocity.

INTRODUCTION

In medieval times, it was believed that

projectiles were pushed through the
air until they reached their impetus.
Once they reached that point, they fell
straight to the ground, almost as if
they had hit a wall. Galileo tested this
theory and discovered that the path is
actually the shape of a parabola. In
fact he determined that the path is a
combination of horizontal and vertical
motion.

In this activity the horizonal

component of the velocity is
constant while the vertical component
fights gravity decelerating upward
until it reaches the top of the path and
then begins to accelerate as
gravity pulls it back toward the Earth.

EQUIPMENT

Calculator
Projectile Motion simulation

PhET Interactive Simula-

tions | University of Col-
orado

Procedure
The Projectile Motion simulation introduces
uniform motion and the relationships between
distance, rate or speed, and time.

The horizontal rate or speed at which the object

travels just after launch remains the same until
impact. The only way for the object to change
its horizontal speed is if another force acts
upon it in the horizontal direction. Something
would have to hit the object, or air resistance
would need to slow it down.

In the activity there is no air resistance, so the

fired object will not change its horizontal speed
until impact.

PLTW ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK

Use your PLTW Engineering Notebook to
record your thinking and to show your
work throughout the activity.

1 In the Projectile Motion simulation,

select the Vectors tab.

2 Raise the cannon to 5 meters high, and

set the angle to 0 degrees. Also adjust
the rate (or initial speed) to 20 meters
per second. Finally, unselect the Air
Resistance box to ensure there is no
air resistance.

3 Fire the cannon and use the tape

measure to measure the distance the
cannonball traveled. In Figure 1 the
tape measure shows a distance of
20.19 meters.

Figure 1.

4 Calculate the time of flight of the

cannonball. The formula for distance
models uniform motion, in this case the
horizontal motion of the projectile.
Refer to the table for guidance.
Distance

where:
x = horizontal distance traveled
by the cannonball
vx = horizontal speed of the
cannonball
t = time of flight

Time

5 Reset the scenario with the cannon

height at 5 meters, oriented at an
angle of 0 degrees, and with an initial
speed of 20 meters per second. Make
the components of the velocity visible.
Fire the cannonball and observe that
the horizontal component of the
velocity is constant during flight.

Figure 2 shows three cannonballs in flight, each

with the same horizontal component of the
velocity.

Figure 2. Cannonballs with Velocity Vector Components

The acceleration due to gravity is assumed to

be constant near the surface of Earth. With
gravity constant, if the firing angle and range of
a projectile are known, then you can predict the
initial velocity.

Note: The formulas from step 7 onward

assume that up is the positive direction.
Therefore the acceleration due to gravity
is -9.81 meters per second squared.

6 Set the cannon to a height of 0 meters

and an angle of 45 degrees. Set the
initial speed to 14 meters per second.

7 Calculate the range, x, of the

cannonball. Refer to the table for
guidance.
Range

where:
x = horizontal distance
vi = initial speed
Θ = angle of the cannon
g = acceleration due to gravity

Reflection
Questions: Why is the
cannon set to a height
of 0 meters? How would
changing the height affect
the calculation of the
range?

8 Verify that the calculated value of the

range equals the value you measured
with the tape measure in the
simulation.

Figure 3.

9 Set the cannon to a height of 0 meters

and an angle of 60 degrees. Set the
initial speed to 15 meters per second
as shown in the figure.

Figure 4.

10 Use the formula to calculate the initial

speed, vi, of the cannonball to verify
the set value. Refer to the table for
guidance.
Initial
speed
where:
x = horizontal distance
vi = initial speed
Θ = angle of the cannon
g = acceleration due to
gravity

11 Use the formula to calculate the angle,

Θ, of the cannonball to verify the set
value. Refer to the table for guidance.
Firing
angle
where:
x = horizontal distance
vi = initial speed
Θ = angle of the cannon
g = acceleration due to
gravity

12 Set the cannon height to a height of 12

meters and an angle of 0 degrees. Set
the initial speed to 0 meters per
second.

Note: With these settings, when

fired, the cannonball is released
from rest and in free fall.

Figure 5.

13 Use the formula to calculate the

vertical distance or height, y, of the
cannonball to verify the set value.
Refer to the table for guidance.
Height (with zero
initial speed
and ground as zero
where:
height)
y = vertical distance
yi = initial height
Θ = angle of the
cannon
g = acceleration due
to gravity

14 Reset the settings. The red bullseye

resets to 15 meters from the cannon.

15 Create three unique trajectories by

adjusting the settings so that in each
case the cannonball hits the bullseye.
Take screenshots of your
scenarios.
Calculate the horizontal distance, x,
for each trajectory to verify they are
equal.

16 Provide an explanation for how it is

possible for three unique trajectories
to travel the same horizontal distance.

METACOGNITIVE
STRATEGY
Reflect on your explanations,
and assess whether or not the
equivalence of the three
trajectories makes sense to you.
If not, or if you’re not sure, what
other resources might help you
to understand the trajectories?

Proceed to Problem 4.2.3