Free Fall and Projectile Motion

Date Performed SCORE /60

FREE FALL AND PROJECTILE MOTION

INTRODUCTION

Any object that is given an initial velocity and which subsequently follows a path
determined by the gravitational force acting on it and all frictional resistance of the atmosphere
is called a projectile. Thus, the term applies to a bomb released from a flying airplane or a
thrown ball or a batted baseball. The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.

Using Newton’s second law of motion, it can be seen that a projectile’s motion is a
combination of horizontal motion with constant velocity and a vertical motion with constant
acceleration. The ball’s horizontal component of velocity does not change as the falling ball
moves forward. The ball travels the same horizontal distance in equal times because there is no
component of gravitational force acting horizontally. Gravity acts only downward so the only
acceleration of the ball is downward. Because the horizontal and vertical motion is independent
from each other, when two objects, one given a purely horizontal initial velocity at a given
height and another dropped at the same height, are set to motion, both will hit the ground at
the same time.

This activity shall only consider trajectories, which have sufficiently short ranges such
that (a) the gravitational force can be considered constant in magnitude and direction; and (b)
all effects of air resistance can be ignored.

In the second part of the activity, we shall be investigating how the angle of projection
and the presence of air drag affect the horizontal distance covered and the time of flight of the
projectile.

At time 𝑡 = 0, the projectile begins its free flight from the origin with initial velocity 𝑣0 and at
an angle of departure 𝜃0 . At any later time 𝑡,
𝑣𝑥 = 𝑣0𝑥 = 𝑣0 cos 𝜃0 𝑣𝑦 = 𝑣0𝑦 − 𝑔𝑡 = 𝑣0 sin 𝜃0 − 𝑔𝑡
1
𝑥 = 𝑣0 cos 𝜃0 𝑡 𝑦 = 𝑣0 sin 𝜃0 𝑡 − 2 𝑔𝑡 2
𝑣 2 = 𝑣𝑥2 + 𝑣𝑦2 𝜃 = tan−1 (𝑣𝑦 /𝑣𝑥 )

OBJECTIVES

1. To measure the acceleration due to gravity and determine the velocity of a projectile
before it hits the ground.
2. To determine how the angle of projection affects the motion of the projectile.
3. To determine how air drag affects the motion of the projectile.

APPARATUS
Projectile motion kit, meter stick, bond paper, carbon paper, stop watch, 2 marbles,
PhET Interactive Simulations

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 Free Fall and Projectile Motion

PROCEDURE OF PART A: The Freely Falling Body & the Projectile

1. Set the projectile motion kit on the edge of the table as shown in Figure 1. Practice
how to use the kit. Call the marble which falls down vertically marble A and the marble
following a trajectory marble B.

Figure 1: Projectile Motion Apparatus.

2. Note the approximate places where the marbles strike the floor. On each of these
places, lay the carbon paper over the bond paper as shown in Figure 2. Tape the edges
of the bond paper on the floor so that they won’t move when hit by the marbles.

Figure 2: Projectile Motion Experimental Set-up.

3. Release the two marbles from the kit. Observe whether both marbles strike the floor
at the same time. Do 3 trials. Fill up Table 1.

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 Free Fall and Projectile Motion

DATA AND CALCULATIONS:

Table 1. Data from free fall and projectile motion experiment. (6 pts.)
Trials for Time (sec) Ya (m) X (m) Computed time
height Ya for marble A
1 0.34 0.38 m 0.58 0.28 s
2 0.29 0.38 m 0.61
3 0.33 0.38 m 0.64
Average 0.61
Trials for Time (sec) Yb (m) X (m) Computed time
height Yb for marble A

1 0.43 s 0.72 m 0.92 m 0.38 s

1. Explain why marbles A and B strike the floor at the same time (2 pts.)

1
2. Using the equation 𝑌 = 2 𝑔𝑡 2 , compute the time 𝑡′ for marble A to reach the floor and
record these values in Table 1. Compare the average 𝑡′ value with the average 𝑡 value. Do
this for both Ya and Yb. (4 pts)

3. Calculate the initial velocity of marble B for both Ya and Yb. (4 pts)

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 Free Fall and Projectile Motion

4. Compute the velocities of the marbles A and B upon striking the floor. Sketch the direction of
the velocity of marble B upon striking the floor. Do this for both Ya and Yb (4 pts)

PROCEDURE OF PART B: A Closer Look on Projectile Motion

1. Open this link on your browser: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion.

2. Set the height at which the projectile is launched to 10 m, the velocity to 5 m/s, the diameter
of the cannonball at 0.8 m, the mass of the cannonball at 5 kg, the drag coefficient at 0.47, and
the angle of launching to 300 in your simulation.

3. Then play the simulation and record the horizontal distance covered by the cannonball upon
hitting the ground (y=0) and the time of flight in the absence of air drag.

4. Perform step 3 again but increase the velocity to 10 m/s, 15 m/s, 20 m/s, and 25 m/s. Record
the corresponding x and t in Table 2.

5. Perform steps 2-4 this time with the presence of air drag. Record your observations in Table
2.

6. Set the height at which the projectile is launched to 10 m, the velocity to 10 m/s, the
diameter of the cannonball at 0.8 m, the mass of the cannonball at 5 kg, the drag coefficient at
0.47, and the angle of launching to 300 in your simulation.

7. Now vary the angle from 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 (without air drag) and record the
corresponding horizontal distance covered when the cannonball hits the ground (y=0), x, and
the time of flight, t. Record your data in Table 3.

8. Repeat steps 6-8, but in the presence of air drag. Record the corresponding x and t in Table 3.

9. Provide screenshots of your simulation in the last page of this activity worksheet.

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 Free Fall and Projectile Motion

DATA AND CALCULATIONS

Table 2: Increasing v0 with and without air drag (4 pts)

Without air drag With air drag

1. Make a graph of v0 vs x and v0 vs t with and without air drag. Label accordingly. (10 pts)

2. Base on the graph, how does the increase in velocity affect x and t? (2 pts)

3. Base on the graph, how does air drag affect x and t? (2 pts)

Table 3: Increasing θ0 with and without air drag (4 pts)

Without air drag With air drag

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 Free Fall and Projectile Motion

4. Make a graph of θ0 vs x and θ0 vs t with and without air drag. Label accordingly (10 pts).

5. Base on your graphs, how does the launching angle affect x and t? (2 pts)

6. What will happen to the maximum height reached by the cannonball as your launching
angle increases? (2 pts)

7. Paste screenshots of your simulation starting here (4 pts).

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