VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HO CHI MINH CITY

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

MATLAB ASSIGNMENT REPORT - PH1004

GENERAL PHYSICS 1

PROJECT 3
DETERMINING THE TRAJECTORY OF PROJECTILE MOTION
IN GRAVITY WITH DRAG FORCE

Teacher: Nguyễn Trung Hậu - Nguyễn Xuân Thanh Trâm

Class: CC02

Group: 3

Students:

FULL NAME STUDENT ID

1 Lê Như Nhã Uyên 2453402

2 Lê Quang Thắng 2453187

3 Lê Trần Xuân Tảo 2453143

4 Lưu Đình Tiến Lộc 2452704

5 Ngô Trung Kiên 2452614

 TABLE OF CONTENT
PREFACE...................................................................................................................................
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.........................................................................................................
REPORT SUMMARY...............................................................................................................
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................
1. Overview of projectile motion................................................................
2. Projectile motion with drag force............................................................
3. Assignment Requirements.......................................................................
CHAPTER 2: THEORY............................................................................................................
1.
CHAPTER 3: THEORY APPLICATION TO SOLVE PROBLEMS..................................
CHAPTER 4: MATLAB PROGRAMMING.........................................................................
1. MATLAB Introduction...........................................................................
2. Code and Results.....................................................................................
3. MATLAB function and formulas for solution........................................
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................

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 PREFACE
Projectile motion, a scientific branch of exterior ballistics, with the 61 st branch of
physics with drag force has been a complex physics and an interesting phenomenon of
investigation for many centuries, with its initiative study dating back to Galileo, who
was among the first to observe and formalize the idea that an object's horizontal and
vertical motions operate independently, creating a predictable parabolic path. This
understanding of motion laid the foundation for modern kinematics, providing the
tools to deal with the study of substantially below the speed of light.
The advancement of the problem has come from three fields: physics, mathematics,
and computation for various industry, civil, and military applications. As a physical
and mathematical issue in nature, the focus has been given on the methods for
computation, simulation and analysis of the governing equations of motion to analyze
complex motions seen in everything from sports to engineering and space travel.

Incorporating the effect of drag forces on projectile motion refines our understanding
of real-world applications, where objects experience air resistance in addition to
gravitational pull. This transforms idealized motion into a more accurate model, which
is essential for practical applications like ballistics, aerospace design, and other
technological advancements that rely on precise motion analysis. Therefore, through
this report, we aim to detail the influence of gravity and drag on projectiles, offering
insight into a more comprehensive model of motion that continues to enhance our
understanding of today’s physical world .

In the process of implementing and completing this topic, due to our limited
professional knowledge and technical experience, it is inevitable that there are still
many issues that have not been fully covered or that are still lacking to some extent.
Therefore, we warmly welcome constructive and sincere comments from teachers and
readers to improve our study.
Sincerely thank you for your feedback!

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
During the process of making this report, our group had received a lot of attention,
support and enthusiastic help from teachers and friends.

In addition, the group would like to express our most sincere gratitude to Mr. Nguyen
Trung Hau and Ms. Nguyen Xuan Thanh Tram, who are the lecturers guiding this
topic. Thanks to their passion when passing down the theory and guiding the group
through the steps with great care, we had a solid knowledge foundation and were able
to complete the report on schedule and resolve the problems encountered. The
guidance of the two teachers was the compass for all of our group's actions and helped
the group maximize the potential of each member.

Finally, our group would like to once again express our deep gratitude to the teachers
and everyone who took the time to guide the group. This is the belief and great
motivation for the group to achieve this result.

Sincerely thank everyone for your help!

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 REPORT SUMMARY
This report demonstrates the use of MATLAB to model the trajectory of a projectile
considering gravitational forces and drag effects. It outlines the mathematical
equations governing motion, incorporating drag as a function of velocity.

Based on the theory foundation, the study includes numerical methods to solve
differential equations, enabling the calculation of trajectory parameters such as
maximum height, range, and time of flight. Results illustrate the significant impact of
drag on projectile motion, providing valuable insights for applications in engineering
and physics.

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 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Overview of projectile motion
Projectile motion is a fundamental concept in physics that occurs when an object, also
called a projectile, is thrown or projected into the air, and the only force acting on it
after launch is gravity. This type of motion is characterized by a parabolic trajectory,
which is determined by the object’s initial velocity and launch angle with the
combination of horizontal and vertical motions in an ideal environment without air
resistance.
There are two primary types of projectile motion based on the presence of drag forces:
projectile motion with and without drag force. This report will mainly discuss the
effect of drag, also known as air resistance, on the motion of the projectile.

2. Projectile motion with drag force

When considering real-world applications, drag force, caused by air resistance,
significantly alters projectile motion. Unlike ideal projectile motion, where only
gravity acts on the object, drag introduces a variable force that opposes the motion,
affecting both the range and time of flight.
Some effects of drag force on projectile motion:
1. Trajectory Alteration: The presence of drag causes the trajectory to deviate
from a simple parabola, typically resulting in a shorter range and lower
maximum height compared to ideal conditions.

Figure 1: Difference in trajectory between projectile motion with and without drag force
The smaller one is the one with drag while the bigger one is the one without drag

In this figure, it is clear that the trajectory when there is no drag force is a simple
parabolic arc showing maximum height and range. However, due to the opposing
force of air resistance that makes the motion lose its vertical speed more quickly, the

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trajectory peaks earlier and descends more sharply, which makes the whole motion
flatter compared to the first one.

Condition Trajectory
Without drag force The projectile follows a parabolic path, characterized by a
symmetrical shape. The range and maximum height are
maximized for a launch angle of 45 degrees.

With drag force The projectile's trajectory is altered, typically appearing

asymmetrical and flatter than the ideal parabola. The
presence of drag reduces both the range and maximum
height, and the optimal launch angle shifts from 45 degrees.
Table 1: Comparison between two types of projectile motion
2. Complex Equations: The equations governing projectile motion become more
complex when including drag. In this project, we will figure out the motion
equation when there is gravity and linear drag force affecting the motion of an
object.

3. Report requirements
a. Content:
Motion equation of projectile motion in gravity with drag force is represented as
follows:

With the initial conditions .

This project requires students to use Matlab to solve the above motion equation,
calculate the trajectory, and plot the trajectory depending on the angle.
b. Requirements:
- Students should have basic programming knowledge of MATLAB.
- Learn about symbolic calculation and graphical interpretation in MATLAB.
c. Tasks:
Write Matlab program and/ or other non-symbolic approaches to:
- Enter the values m, h, v0, α, t (flight time).
- Set up the differential equations with x (t) and y (t). Use symbolic commands
to solve the system of equations.
- Plot the trajectory depending on the angle α (15, 30, 45, 60, 750).
Submitting the report has to contain text explaining the content of the program and the
entire code verified to run properly in Matlab.

CHAPTER 2: THEORY

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 CHAPTER 3: THEORY APPLICATION TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS
Example 1:
Consider an object with a mass of m=1 kg that is thrown at an angle in a
medium with a drag coefficient of h=0.4. The object starts from the initial
position x0=0, y0=0, with an initial velocity of 130 m/s at an angle of 60∘ to
the horizontal. The object moves for a time of t=10 seconds. Calculate the
initial velocity components of the object in a projectile motion scenario.
Solution:

The initial velocity v0=130 m/s at an angle θ=60∘ can be split into two components:

● Horizontal component:
v0x = v0.cosθ = 130cos60∘ = 130×0.5 = 65m/s

● Vertical component:
v0y = v0.sinθ = 130sin60∘ = 130×23 ≈ 130×0.866 = 112.58m/s

Example 2: Plot the trajectory from t=0 to t=2π3≈2.0944 for the

equation:

r=(5cos⁡3t)i⃗+(5sin⁡3t)j⃗\vec{r} = (5 \cos 3t) \vec{i} + (5 \

sin 3t) \vec{j}r=(5cos3t)i+(5sin3t)j

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 CHAPTER 4: MATLAB PROGRAMMING
1. MATLAB Introduction

2. Code and Results

3. MATLAB functions and and formulas for solution

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CONCLUSION

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 REFERENCES
(1) ResearchGate Article “Projectile motion with a drag force: Were the Medievals
right after all?”

(2) Modern Physics Insights - Projectile Motion | Trajectory, Range and Equations

(3) Kwatlen Polytechnic University - Chapter 5: Projectile motion - Foundation of

Physic

(4) Temporary - Why is projectile motion important?

(5) Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Serway and Jewett - ninth edition -
p.161 - 164

(6) Youtube - Trajectory of a projectile with linear drag

(7) Scientific Research - Computational Solution to the Problems of Projectile

Motion under Significant Linear Drag Effect

(8)

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