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Projectile Motion Lab

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8 views2 pages

Projectile Motion Lab

Uploaded by

1096130
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Projectile Motion Lab

Purpose:
The purpose of this lab is to determine the initial velocity of the projectile launcher and
determine how angle impacts horizontal range.
Material:

❏Projectile Launcher
❏ Large measuring tape
❏ Table

Procedure:
Part A:
1. Adjust the launcher at an angle of 0°.
2. Locate the point on the floor directly under the point where the ball leaves the gun. Mark
this point on a piece of paper or tape fastened to the floor.
3. Determine the approximate range of the ball by firing the gun a couple of times (place a
backstop beyond the landing point to protect innocent passersby). In order to measure the
position at which the ball strikes the floor, tape a sheet of paper to the floor such that the
ball strikes the paper approximately in the center.
4. Fire at least ten shots; circle and number the impact positions on the sheet on the floor. If
the positions are spread so much that they do not all hit the paper, check that everything
is tight and that each time you use the same technique to project the ball.
5. Determine the range, R (horizontal range), by measuring the distance from the spot under
the gun (x = 0 and y = 0) to the marks on the recording sheet. Use statistical methods to
find the mean range and the standard deviation.

Part B: Dependence of Range on Angle of Projection θ (vo fixed):

6. Before taking more data, vary the angle of launch and try to find the angle which gives
the maximum range. You may want to try predicting it first. Make just a couple of shots
at each angle. Are you surprised? If so, read question 6 below.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for at least three more angles, between 10° and 50°.Be sure to
measure the new initial position (both dxo and dyo) as the angle changes and find range
in each case.
ANALYSIS & QUESTIONS
1. If we choose the point directly below the end of the gun as x = 0 and the floor level as y =
0, then xo = 0 and yo = h (Known height). Use this information and the mean range
measured for the horizontal shots to calculate the initial velocity. vo is assumed to be the
same independent of angle of projection. Is this a good assumption?
2. Using the appropriate initial velocity, vo, determined in question 1, calculate the range,
Rcalc, for all non zero angles
3. Based on your data (Step 6 of the procedure), for approximately what angle of projection
was the range greatest? Explain qualitatively why this is so.
4. Discuss the error (difference between Rcalculated, and Rmeasured) that might have impacted
your results.

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