Projectile motion

Question 1

What is projectile motion?

Answer 1

The movement of an object or the human body as they travel through the air.

Question 2

What is horizontal displacement ?

Answer 2

The shortest distance from the starting point to the finishing point in a line parallel to the ground.

Question 3

3 Factors to determine horizontal displacement of a projectile ?

Answer 3

Angle of release
Speed of release
Height of release

Question 4

Angle of release?

Answer 4

The optimum is dependant on release height and landing height, if both are equal it is 45 degrees.
45 degrees gives flight time and sufficient height, if above 45* it has reached peak height to quickly and if below it has reached sufficient height to maximise flight time.
If release height is below landing height (basketball) then optimum angle of release needs to be greater than 45*.
If release height is above landing height (shotput) then the point of release is much higher than the ground.

Question 5

Speed of release?

Answer 5

The greater the release velocity of a projectile, the greater the horizontal displacement travelled.
Newton’s second law ‘ a body’s rate change of momentum, is proportional to the size of the force applied and acts in the same direction as the force applied’.
The more powers you generate the further it will go.

Question 6

Height of release?

Answer 6

Greater release height= increase in horizontal displacement.
Gravity is constantly acting on of the mass of a shot put, so this means the shot putter should release it at the highest point above the ground