Projectile Motion Pre-lab Assignment

Your name: _____________________

Please print this page, fill it in, and show it to your TF at the start of your lab session.

In the lab, you will be investigating the properties of projectile motion. Note that the simulations here deal with the special case in which the projectile lands at the same level from which it was launched. In the lab projectile lands lower than where it started. The general principles of projectile motion still apply, however.

For a projectile that starts and ends at the same height, use simulation 1 to help fill in the table below, or you can simply calculate the values yourself. Note that the simulation does not stop until the ball's y-coordinate goes slightly negative, but that should not introduce too much error. The initial speed is 20 m/s.

Launch Anglevox (m/s)voy (m/s)Time of flight (s)Range (m)
0 20 0 0 0
15 ______ ______ ______ ______
30 ______ ______ ______ ______
45 ______ ______ ______ ______
60 ______ ______ ______ ______
75 ______ ______ ______ ______
90 0 20 ______ 0

For the next part, use a launch angle of 30 degrees. Circle TRUE or FALSE for the following statements, that again deal with the special case in which the projectile starts and ends at the same height. Use the simulations if you need help. In simulation 1 you can vary the initial velocity and the launch angle, while in simulation 2 you can vary the x and y components of the initial velocity.

Keeping vo fixed but increasing the launch angle by 5 degrees will increase the time of flight. TRUE FALSE
Keeping vo fixed but increasing the launch angle by 5 degrees will increase the range. TRUE FALSE
Keeping voy fixed and increasing voxwill increase the time of flight. TRUE FALSE
Keeping vox fixed and increasing voy will increase the time of flight. TRUE FALSE
Keeping vox fixed and increasing voy will increase the range. TRUE FALSE