- It is any object upon which the only force is gravity.
- It travels with a parabolictrajectory due to the influence of gravity.
· There are no horizontalforces acting upon a projectile and thus no horizontalacceleration(0m/s).
· The horizontal velocity of a projectile is constant (a never-changing in value).
· There is a vertical acceleration caused by gravity; its value is -9.8 m/s2
· The vertical velocity of a projectile changes by 9.8 m/s each second.
· The horizontal motion of a projectile is independent to its vertical motion.
Projectile Motion
- It refers to the movement of an object through the air or space under the influence of gravity alone after being launched or thrown. This type of motions typically follows a curved path known as trajectory.
- The motion of a body projected horizontally at an angle other than 90° with the horizontal.
- It is the motion under the influence of gravity.
1. Horizontal Component: ---
- This component of projectile motion describes the movement of the object in the horizontal direction.
- The horizontal motion of a projectile is characterized by a constant velocity, assuming no air resistance. This means that there is no acceleration acting horizontally on the projectile once it’s in the air.
- As a result, the horizontal velocity vx remains constant throughout the projectile’s flight.
2. Vertical Component: I
- This component refers to the motion of the object in the vertical direction, influence by gravity.
- The vertical motion of a projectile is influenced by gravity, causing it to acceleratedownwards.
- The vertical velocity vy decreases as the projectilerises, reaches a maximumheight (0), and it increases as it falls back down.
· Initial Velocity (Vo) – the speed and direction at which the object is launched.
· Launch Angle (θ) – the angle at which the object is launched with respect to the horizontal.
· Gravity (g) – the force that pulls the object downward, affecting its vertical motion. Its value is -9.8 m/s2.
1. Trajectory – the curved path followed by the projectile as it moves through the air or space.
2. Range – the horizontal distance travelled by the projectile from the launch point to the point where it hits the ground or another surface.