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Department of Education
National Capital Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE
MARIKINA CITY

Science
Quarter 4 -Module 1
Projectile Motion

Maria C. Lising
Robert J. Gaviola

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 What I Need to Know
The purpose of this module is to help you understand the horizontal and
vertical motion of a projectile and the relationship between the angle of release and
the height and the range of the projectile.

This module contains one lesson: Projectile Motion

After going through this module, you are expected to describe the horizontal
and vertical motion of a projectile and investigate the relationship between
the angle of release and the height and range of the projectile. S9FE-IVa-34
and S9FE-IVa-35

Specifically, you should be able to:

 describe the motion of a projectile;
 label a diagram illustrating projectile motion by indicating the range,
height, trajectory, initial horizontal velocity, and initial vertical velocity;
 determine the range and maximum height of a projectile;
 relate between the angle of release and the height and range of the
projectile; and
 solve sample problems using the projectile equations.

What I Know

Read each item carefully and encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.

1. Which component of a projectile is constant?

A. Horizontal velocity C. Range
B. Vertical velocity D. Angle of trajectory

2. What is the curved path taken by the projectile motion?

A. Trajectory C. Upward
B. Horizontal path D. Downward

3. Which is described as the combination of a constant horizontal motion and

free fall?
A. Inertia C. Projectile
B. Momentum D. Energy

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4. What is the horizontal distance traveled by a projectile motion?
A. Height C. Projectile
B. Trajectory D. Range

5. At what angle should a water hose be intended for the water to land with the
greatest range?
A. 0O B.30O C.45O D.60O

6. Which of the following statements is NOT acceptable about projectile

motion?
A. The horizontal velocity of projectiles is constant.
B. It is the combination of two independent motions- vertical and horizontal.
C. The motion of the projectile freed vertically downward is accelerated.
D. Both horizontal and vertical velocities are constant.

7. A ball is hit at an angle of 300. At what point in its trajectory does this
projectile have the least speed?
A. Just after it was launched.
B. At the highest point in its flight.
C. Just before it hits the ground.
D. Midway between the ground and the highest point.

8. Ball A is thrown horizontally, while ball B is dropped from the same height
at the same time. Which of the following events will happen?
A. Ball A will reach the ground first.
B. Ball B will reach the ground first.
C. Balls A and B will reach the ground at the same time.
D. Ball B will have a greater speed when it reaches the ground.

9. Which component of projectile motion is changing?

A. Vertical velocity C. Both A and B
B. Horizontal velocity D. Neither A nor B

10. A ball is thrown horizontally with a speed of 4.00 m/s from a height of 60.0
meters. What is the range of the projectile?
A. 4.00 m B. 14.0 m C. 24.0 m D. 34.0 m

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Lesson Projectile Motion

What’s In
Put a check () in the sports/situations illustrating a curved motion. Write
your answer in the given table.

Sports/ Situation Curved motion

Throwing a basketball into the basket
Kicking a soccer ball
Batting a baseball
Rolling a ball in the ground
Dropping a ball from the building

What’s New
Activity 1. Understanding Projectile Motion
A. Identify the term/phrase being described. Refer to the given diagram for a
better understanding. Choose your answer from the words in the box and write
it on the space provided before each number.
RANGE TRAJECTORY HORIZONTAL VELOCITY
HEIGHT VERTICAL VELOCITY PROJECTILE MOTION

Figure 1. Projectile Motion

______________1. The combination of vertical and horizontal motion is acted by
gravity only.
______________2. The curved path is taken by the object.
______________3. The vertical distance the ball can reach.
______________4. The horizontal distance along the ground.
______________5. The component of velocity in projectile motion that is constant.
______________6. The velocity decreases when moving upward and increases when
moving downward.

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To help you understand the motion of a projectile let us have this simple activity.

B. Coins in Race

Objective: To be able to describe projectile motion.

What you need: 2 coins of the same sizes/2pcs 1-peso coin and ruler

What to do:

1. Place the ruler on the table as shown in figure 2.

2. Place the 1st coin on top of the edge of the ruler and the other coin beside
the edge of the other side of the ruler.
3. Push the ruler forward so that the two coins will fall, one as free fall and the
other on as projectile.

Figure 2. Coins in Race setup

Guide Questions:

1. Which of the two coins reached the floor first? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the two motions involved in the situation? Describe the two
motions.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. What force/s is acting on the projectile?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

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 What Is It
An object is thrown with an initial velocity and acted upon by the earth’s
pull of gravity which is known as the projectile. It travels in a curved path called
the trajectory. The horizontal distance traveled by a projectile within the total time
of its flight is called the range.

Horizontal and Vertical Motion of a Projectile

In the activity, if you performed it properly, both coins will reach the floor at
the same time. The congruence in their time is because they are both accelerating
downward due to the force of gravity at the same value of 9.8m/s2 regardless of
the horizontal distance they covered.
Figure 3 shows that projectile motion is a combination of vertical and
horizontal motion which are independent of each other. Neglecting the air
resistance, the horizontal motion is constant while the vertical motion is changing.
It can be observed on the length of the arrows of vx and vy. Even though the object
in projectile motion gains a constant horizontal velocity, the vertical velocity of the

Figure 3. The horizontal and the vertical motion of a projectile

two coins are the same. The horizontal distance traveled by the projectile is called
range (R) while the vertical distance is called height (h).
Table 1 shows the equations of the projectile in a vertical and horizontal
motion.
Vertical Motion Horizontal Motion
2
gt
R = vx t
h=
2
Vy = gt Vx = constant
Table 1. Equation of projectile in vertical and horizontal motions.

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Sample Problem:

A ball is thrown horizontally with a velocity of 30.0 m/s from a height of 50

meters. Find the range of the projectile and the time it takes the ball to reach the
ground.
Given: Unknown:
Vx = 30 m/s t =?
h = 50 meters R=?

a. to find for the time it takes for the b. to compute for the range you may
ball to reach the ground, you may use:
derive from
Formula: Formula:
𝑔𝑡 2
ℎ= ,
2
R = vx t
applying your knowledge on algebra,
Solution:
you will come up with:
R = (30 m/s)(3.19s)
2ℎ
𝑡= √
𝑔 Answer:
Solution: R = 95.7 m (range of the projectile)

2(50 𝑚)
𝑡= √ 𝑚2
9.8
𝑠

Answer: 𝒕 = 𝟑. 𝟏𝟗 𝒔 is the time it

took for the ball to reach the ground

Projectile at an Angle

Figure 4. Projectile motion is thrown at an angle θ.

Consider the ball is thrown at an angle with an initial velocity. During the
flight, the horizontal velocity remains constant while the vertical velocity changes.
On its way up, the vertical components decrease and increase on their way down.

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 When the ball is at the maximum height the vertical velocity is zero. The
height of the projectile is calculated using this equation:
1
h=(vi sinθ)(t) − ( ) gt2
2
The range R is calculated using this equation and is applicable to all values of
θ.

v2i sin 2θ
R=
g

Projectile Motion and Complementary Angles

An object that is thrown at 300 into the air will have the same range when it
is thrown at 600. So, the object when thrown at 700, 200, and 100 will have the
same ranges as it was thrown in 200, 700, and 800 respectively. The maximum
range obtained is 450.

Figure 5. Ranges of projectiles at angles shot with the same speed.

Sample Problem:

What must be the horizontal distance of the ball if it is thrown with initial
velocity of 50.0 m/s at an angle of 20.00?

Given: Solution:
Vi = 50.0m/s (50m/s)2 sin2(20°)
R= (9.8m/s2 )
θ = 20.00
𝑚2
Unknown: 2500 2 sin(40°)
R= 𝑠
R=? (9.8m/s2 )

Formula: Answer:
v2i sin2θ R = 164 m
R= 2g

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 What’s More

Activity 2: Horizontal and Vertical Motions of Projectile

Directions: Draw vector arrows representing the vx and vy (velocity components)

during the motion. The length of the arrows must represent the magnitude of the
velocity components.

Guide Questions:
1. Describe the path of the projectile.
________________________________________
2. Is projectile motion one-dimensional?
________________________________________
3. What force/s is acting on the projectile?
________________________________________
4. Compare the horizontal and vertical
motion of the projectile.
________________________________________
Figure 3. The vertical and horizontal
velocity of a projectile

Sample Problem:
1. A ball is thrown horizontally with a speed of 2.50 m/s from a height of 50.0
meters. Find:
a. the range of the projectile

b. how long will the ball travel before it reaches the ground?

2. An object is thrown horizontally from the top of the building with an initial
velocity of 15.0 m/s. Find the height of the building if the object hits the
ground 60.0 m away from the building.

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 What I Have Learned

Activity 3. Projectile at an Angle

Directions: Draw vector arrows representing the vx and vy (velocity components)

during the motion.

Figure 4. Projectile motion thrown at an angle θ

Answer the following:

1. Describe the magnitude of vx as the ball moves upward and downward.

_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Describe the magnitude of vy as the ball moves upward and downward.
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Compare the vx and vy when the ball is at its maximum height.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Solve the Problem:

1. A ball is thrown with an initial velocity of 30.0 m/s and makes an angle of
30.0o with the ground. Find:

a. Horizontal distance

b. Maximum height

c. Total time the ball is traveling

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 What I Can Do

An object is thrown horizontally with a speed of 30m/s from the top of a

building. Complete the table below given the indicated time intervals. (Use g= 9.8
m/s2)

Time Vertical Horizontal Vertical Horizontal

(s) Displacement Displacement Velocity Velocity
(m) (m) (m/s) (m/s)
1 4.9 30 9.8 30
2
3
4

Additional Activities
Activity 5. Projectile Motion and Complementary Angles
Study Figure 5 and answer the questions.

Figure 5. Ranges of projectiles at angles shot with the same speed.

Guide Questions:
1. At what angle will have the same range when thrown at an angle of 15o, and
300? _____________________________________________________________________
2. What launch angle will have the same range as a projectile launched at 20o?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. In the absence of air resistance, at what angle should be projected to get the
maximum range? _________________________________________________________
4. In a certain sport like the Javelin throw event, at what angle should you
project the spear to attain the farthest distance?
___________________________________________________________________________

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 Posttest

Read each item carefully and encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.
For numbers 1 to 5, choose your answer from the box.

A. Range B. Trajectory C. Projectile

D. Vertical velocity E. Horizontal velocity
1. Which refers to the combination of vertical and horizontal motions?
2. Which has constant velocity?
3. Which refers to the horizontal distance traveled by a projectile?
4. Which has increasing and decreasing velocity?
5. What term refers to the path followed by the projectile?

6. At what angle should a water hose be intended in order for the water to land
with the greatest range?
A. 0O B. 30O C. 45O D. 60O

7. Which of the following statements is NOT acceptable about projectile

motion?
A. The horizontal velocity of projectiles is constant.
B. It is the combination of two independent motions- vertical and horizontal.
C. The motion of the projectile released vertically downward is accelerated.
D. Both horizontal and vertical velocities are constant.

8. A ball is hit at an angle of 300. At what point in its trajectory does this
projectile have the least speed?
A. Just after it was launched.
B. At the highest point in its flight.
C. Just before it hits the ground.
D. Midway between the ground and the highest point.

9. Ball A is thrown horizontally, while ball B is dropped from the same height
at the same time. Which of the following events will happen?
A. Ball A will reach the ground first.
B. Ball B will reach the ground first.
C. Balls A and B will reach the ground at the same time.
D. Ball B will have a greater speed when it reaches the ground.

10. A ball is thrown horizontally with a speed of 4.0 m/s from a height of 60.0
meters. What is the range of the projectile?
A. 4.00 m B. 14.0 m C. 24.0 m D. 34.0 m

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 DISCIPLINE • GOOD TASTE • EXCELLENCE
12 City of Good Character
What I Know
1. A 2. A 3. C 4. D 5. C
6. D 7. B 8. C 9. B 10. B
What’s In
What's New
A.1. Projectile Motion 4. Range
2. Trajectory 5. Horizontal Velocity
3. Height 6. Vertical Velocity
B. 1. The two coins reached the ground at the same time.
2. Horizontal and vertical motions.
3. Gravitational force.
What’s More
Activity 2 1. The Projectile produced a curved path
2. No
3. Gravitational force
4. The horizontal motion has constant velocity while vertical motion changes accordingly.
Sample Prob. 1. A. R = 125 m
B. t = 3 seconds
2. h= 78.4 m
What I Have Learned
Ans. The following: 1. Vx is constant
2. Vy decelerates as it moves upward and accelerates as it goes down.
3. Vx is still the same, Vy is zero.
Solve the Problem: 1. A. 79.5 m
B. 11.5 m
C. 3.06 s
Additional Activity
1. 750 and 600
2.800
3.450
4.450
Answer Key
Education-Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (DedEd-IMCS)
Alvarez, L et.al. (2014) Science Learners 9 Module (First Edition). Department of
References
 Development Team of the Module
Writers: Maria C. Lising
Robert J. Gaviola

Content Editors: Jenalyn M. Salonga

Jessica S. Mateo

Language Editors: Ma. Elena S. Catinoy

Geraldine B. Tapit

Cover Illustrators: Jordan B. Plopino

Arriane Joy F. Isorena

Illustrator: Aira Jaime B. Ocampo

Layout Artists: Keith Angeline N. Alejandro
Jemwel Dela Paz

Management Team:
Sheryll T. Gayola
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent
Elisa O. Cerveza
Chief, CID
OIC, Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Jessica S. Mateo
EPS-Science
Ivy Coney A. Gamatero
EPS – LRMS

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Schools Division Office- Marikina City

Email Address: [email protected]

191 Shoe Ave., Sta. Elena, Marikina City, 1800, Philippines

Telefax: (02) 682-2472 / 682-3989

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