✅Projectile Motion

Question 1

what is projectile motion?

Answer 1

Refers to the movement of either an object or the human body as they travel through the air.

Question 2

What is a projectile in sport?

Answer 2

As soon as the ball is released in a kick, hit or throw.

The human body acts as a projectile in a variety of situation, such as the long jump and gymnastic vault.

Question 3

What are the factors that affect the horizontal displacement of a projectile?

Answer 3

Angle of release
Speed of release
Height of release

Question 4

What is horizontal displacement?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Why is the angle of release important?

Answer 5

To throw an object as far as possible.

Question 6

What affects the optimum angle of release?

Answer 6

Dependent upon release height and landing height.
When both the release height and the landing height are equal, then the optimum angle of release is 45 (ignoring wind and gravity).

This would be the case for a long jumper.

Question 7

What happens if the release height is below the landing height?

Answer 7

The optimum angle of release needs to be greater than 45.

Shooting a basketball highlights this.

Question 8

What happens if the release height is greater than the landing height?

Answer 8

The optimum angle of release needs to be less than 45.

This can been seen in the flight path of the shot put where the hand is the point of release which is much higher than the landing point.

Question 9

Why is the speed of release important?

Answer 9

The greater the release velocity or a projectile, the greater the horizontal displacement travelled.

Question 10

What’s an example of the speed of release?

Answer 10

In the shot put, the speed of the shift or rotation across the circle ensures that the shot leaves the hand at maximum velocity so a greater horizontal displacement can be achieved.

Question 11

Why is the height of release important?

Answer 11

A greater release height also results in an increase in horizontal displacement.

Question 12

What’s an example of the height of release?

Answer 12

There force of gravity is constantly acting on the mass of a shot put. This therefore means that technically the shot putter should try to release the shot at the highest point possible above the ground to gain maximum horizontal displacement.

Question 13

What are the factors affecting flight paths of different projectiles?

Answer 13

Weight (gravity)

Air resistance

Question 14

Why are weight and air resistance so important?

Answer 14

These two factors are crucial in deciding whether a projectile has a flight path that is a true parabola or is a distorted parabola.

Question 15

What is a parabola?

Answer 15

A curve with matching left and right hand sides.

It’s a uniform curve that is symmetrical at its highest point

Question 16

What happens when the flight path is long?

Answer 16

The longer air resistance can affect a projectile and have a greater influence.

Question 17

What happens in projectiles with a lighter mass?

Answer 17

The effects of air resistance result in a flight path that deviates from a true parabola to a distorted parabola.

A shuttlecock is a good example of this.

Question 18

What happens during a parabolic flight path?

Answer 18

Its released at an angle to the horizontal, its initial velocity has a horizontal component and a vertical component.

Question 20

What is a horizontal component?

Answer 20

The horizontal motion of an object

Question 21

What is a vertical component?

Answer 21

The upward motion of an object.

Question 22

How can a horizontal component and vertical component be represented?

Answer 22

By vectors

Question 23

How is a vector drawn?

Answer 23

Its drawn as an arrow and it has magnitude (size) and direction.

Question 24

What does drawing a bigger/smaller arrow mean?

Answer 24

Means there is more magnitude and less magnitude.