Projectile Motion Flashcards
What is a projectile
body whose motion is subject only to the forces of gravity and fluid resistance.
What component is constant in a projectile motion
The horizontal component because it is not affected by gravity
What is trajectory
The flight path of the center of gravity of a projectile
Name the three factors that affect trajectory
Projection velocity, projection angle, relative projection height
At what point in a projectile do these factors exert their effects?
Before the projectile is released, once it is released only gravity and fluid resistance have an impact on the trajectory.
What is projection velocity?
Velocity at release
What does projection velocity affect
The length and height of the trajectory
Describe what happens if an object is thrown horizontally
There will be no vertical velocity, the path will be half a parabola. The larger the velocity, the further the projectile will travel horizontally
Describe what happens if a projectile is thrown with both a horizontal velocity and a positive vertical velocity, the release height differs from the landing height.
The path will be a truncated parabola, if the projectile angle is kept constant. the larger the initial velocity the higher the projectile will reach and the further it will travel horizontally
What is projection angle
The angle at which the object is projected
What can the projection angle affect?
The shape of the trajectory
What will occur if the projection angle increases?
The vertical component of the initial velocity and the projectile will reach a higher vertical position. Increasing the projection angle will also decrease the horizontal component of the initial velocity and the projectile will not travel as far horizontally
Define relative projection height
The difference between the height of release and the height of impact
What occurs if the relative projection height increases
The flight time is longer
When is relative projection height positive
When the height of release is higher than the landing height
