TASK

By the end of this PhysicsQuest you will have a better understanding of projectile motion by analyzing multimedia animations and completing an online lab simulation.
PROCESS AND RESOURCES

You will be given a series of questions and various links to Internet sites that will help you answer the questions.
PhysicsQuest

PROJECTILE MOTION
INTRODUCTION


By watching a weekend football game you could learn something other than who threw the most passes or gained the most yards.

Football provides some great examples of the basic concepts of physics!  Physics is present in the flight of the ball, the motion of the players and the force of the tackles.

In this investigation you will learn the characteristics of projectile motion which is the kind of motion followed by the ball.
Part I.

THE MONKEY AND THE ZOOKEEPER

These animations relate to a monkey down at the zoo. The monkey spends most of its day hanging from a branch of a tree.
The zookeeper feeds the monkey by shooting bananas from a banana cannon to the monkey in the tree.

The monkey usually drops from the tree the moment that the banana leaves the muzzle of the cannon. The zookeeper is faced with the dilemma of where to aim the banana cannon in order to feed the monkey. If the monkey lets go of the tree the moment that the banana is fired, then where should he aim the banana cannon?

Let's take a look at several situations.
Part 3.

The Plane and the Package

Consider a plane moving with a constant speed. The plane drops a package from its luggage compartment. Neglecting the effects of air resistance,

11. What will be the path of the package and where will it be with respect to the plane?
12. How can the motion of the package be described?

Throw at the Monkey in a Gravity Free Environment

1. What would happen if the banana was thrown at the monkey in a gravity free environment?
2. What path would the banana take and would it hit the monkey?

Throw above the Monkey with Gravity On

3. Assume a real situation where gravity is present, what would happen if the banana was thrown above the monkey?
4. What paths would the banana and the monkey take?
5. Would the banana fall (below the straight-line path) and hit the monkey as the monkey drops from the tree? Or would the banana miss the monkey, moving straight above his head?
The Truck and the Ball

Consider a truck moving with a constant speed. A ball is projected straight upwards from the truck. Neglecting the effects of air resistance,

13. What will be the path of the ball and where will it be located with respect to the pickup truck?
14. How can the motion of the ball be described?
15. Where will the ball land with respect to the truck?
CONCLUSION

6. What is the the key to the zookeeper's dilemma?
Part 2.

Maximum Range

Imagine a cannonball launched at constant speed from a cannon at three different angles - 30-degrees, 45-degrees, and 60-degrees.

Angle versus Range

7. How will the trajectories of the three cannonballs compare?
8. Which cannonball will have the greatest range?
9. Which cannonball will reach the highest peak height before falling?
10. Which cannonball will reach the ground first?
Part 4.

The Golf Range Lab or
The Golf Range Lab (alternative site)
HOLE-IN-ONE

 

 

HOLE-IN-ONE                        

 

OBJECTIVE:

 

To use a computer simulation of a Golf Range to compare and contrast the position of the ball at different angles.

 

PART 1.   RANGE versus ANGLE

 

1. Use the TRAILS and NO AIR options for all trials.

2. Set the Launch Velocity and Launch angle and LAUNCH.

3. Record the Position (Range) and Time on the table.

4. Using the same velocity, change the launch angle and record your results.

5. Repeat for last angle.

6. After each set of data click TRAILS to reset the paths.

 

30°

 

Initial Velocity (m/s)

Range (m)

Time (s)

30

 

 

40

 

 

50

 

 

60

 

 

 

45°

 

Initial Velocity (m/s)

Range (m)

Time (s)

30

 

 

40

 

 

50

 

 

60

 

 

 

60°

 

Initial Velocity (m/s)

Range (m)

Time (s)

30

 

 

40

 

 

50

 

 

60

 

 

 

 

Part II. HOLE-IN-ONE

 

1. Use the TRAILS and NO AIR options.

2. Set the Green on the Position and the Launch angle and LAUNCH.

3. Record the Velocity to hit HOLE-IN-ONE.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 using the AIR option.

 

30°

 

Position    

Velocity   (m/s)  NO AIR

Velocity (m/s)   AIR

200 m

 

 

400 m

 

 

 

45°

 

Position    

Velocity   (m/s)  NO AIR

Velocity (m/s)   AIR

200 m

 

 

400 m

 

 

 

 

DATA ANALYSIS

 

PART I.:

 

1. How does the range compare for 30° and 60° for the same initial velocity?

 

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2. How does the range compare for 30° and 45° for the same initial velocity?

 

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3. Find the maximum height achieved by the ball for the three different angles.

Select one value for initial velocity for all your calculations.

Be sure to use the information needed from the record tables above.

Show all your work (calculations) on the table below.

 

Initial Velocity (Vo): _______________

 

30°

 

Voy

(m/s)

Time to max. height  (s)

Maximum Height

           (m)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45°

 

Voy

(m/s)

Time to max. height  (s)

Maximum Height

           (m)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

60°

 

Voy

(m/s)

Time to max. height  (s)

Maximum Height

           (m)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Which angle gives the maximum height?     _____________________

 

PART II.

 

5. Which angle gives the maximum ranges for the minimum initial velocities?  _______

 

6. How do the velocities compare for the AIR option?

 

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