Projectile Motion

Question 1

What is projectile motion?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What is a projectile?

Answer 2

An object travelling horizontally through the air, not in contact with anything else. E.g shot putting, discus

Question 3

What are the forces that act on a projectile?

Answer 3

Weight, air resistance

Question 4

What are the factors affecting horizontal displacement of a projectile?

Answer 4

Angle of release
Height of release
Speed of release

Question 5

How does the angle of release affect horizontal displacement?

Answer 5

The optimum angle of release is dependant upon thr release height and landing height.
-When the release height and landing height are equal, the optimum angle is 45 degrees. E.g for a long jumper
-If the release height is below the landing height, the optimum angle is above 45 degrees. E.g basketball shot
-If the release height is greater than the landing height, the optimum angle is less than 45 degrees. E.g shot put.
The optimum for a shot putter is 36 to 38 degrees. A smaller angle of release means more speed can be generated as the shot is released

Question 6

How does the speed of release affect horizontal displacement?

Answer 6

The greater the release velocity, the greater the horizontal displacement. In shot put, the speed of rotation across the circle ensures the shot leaves that hand at maximum velocity

Question 7

How does the height of release affect horizontal displacement?

Answer 7

The greater the height of release, the greater the horizontal displacement.

Question 8

What is the optimum angle of release?

Answer 8

The angle between the horizontal displacement and the direction of projectile at release

Question 9

What size a parabola?

Answer 9

A curve with a matching left and right hand side. Symmetrical. A distorted parabola is one where the curve is not symmetrical

Question 10

What projectiles follow a true parabolic flight path?

Answer 10

Projectiles with a large weight force and small air resistance. Low air resistance is due to a smooth and regular shape

Question 11

How do you draw and label forces acting on an projectile in a parabolic flight path?

Answer 11

Draw the symmetrical curve. Mark the highest point. Mark two more point at the same point on either side of the curve. You draw air resistance at each point along the curve, in the opposite direction to movement. This is always the same. Draw weight down at each point. This is always the same as well.

Question 12

What happens if an object is denser?

Answer 12

It will have less air resistance

Question 13

Describe the curve of a distorted parabolic flight path

Answer 13

The left hand side will remain the same but when the highest point is reached, it will drop down faster than the left hand side

Question 14

What projectiles follow a distorted parabolic flight path?

Answer 14

Irregular objects. In objects with a lighter mass, the effects of air resistance results in the flight path that deviates from a true parabola to distorted parabola. E.g a shuttlecock

Question 15

Describe the forces you would label on a distorted parabola flight path

Answer 15

They usually have a lighter mass and unusual shape that increases air resistance. In a serve, the shuttle starts off with high velocity so had high velocity. As the shuttle continues, it slows down due to air resistance, and air resistance decreases as it goes. It is labelled in the same way as a parabola flight path, just with a larger AR resistance at the start which decreases. Weight is also needed to be labelled

Question 16

How do you draw force vectors at different points on a parabola flight path

Answer 16

Throughout, the horizontal component stays the same.
At the release point, the vertical component is at its highest, pointing up. Once it reaches the first point this is smaller. At the highest point, there is no verticle component. After the highest point, the verticle component will decrease and go down, getting an increasingly large down arrow. The down arrow at two opposite points will be the same, just in the opposite direction

Question 17

What is the resultant vector?

Answer 17

The result of a horizontal and verticle component. This will be the same for start and end of flight in a parabolic flight path, just in the opposite direction.

Question 18

How does drawing vectors on a distorted parabola differ from a parabola?

Answer 18

The vectors at opposite points are not the same in the opposite direction. Horizontal component also changes now.
At the release point, H and V components are large. At the first point, both the H and V components are smaller. At the highest point, there is no V component, and a very small H component. And the next point, opposite to the second one explained, the H point is even smaller, but the V component is getting bigger, but downwards instead now