Virtual Lab on Projectile Motion
http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.edu/more_stuff/Applets/ProjectileMotion/jarapplet.html
or
http://219.94.96.174/fizik/virtual/www.hazelwood.k12.mo.us/~grichert/projectile/proj.html
http://219.94.96.174/fizik/virtual/www.hazelwood.k12.mo.us/~grichert/sciweb/projdoc.htm
Directions: Open the web site listed above.
Set-up:
. Tick the box titled "Show Trails".
. Do not tick the box titled "Air Resistance" (we will investigate this affect later on.)
. In the velocity box type in an initial (Launch) velocity of u = 50 m/s.
. In the angle box type in 45 degrees.
. In the mass box type in 1 kilogram.
Procedure A: What is the effect of mass on the motion of a projectile?
a. Press the "fire" button to launch your first projectile.
b. At the top of the screen, read and record the projectile's statistics in the table below.
u = 50 m/s
Angle = 45o
Mass of the
Maximum Range
Maximum
End Velocity
Total Time
Projectile
(distance)
Elevation (height)
(kilograms)
(meters)
(meters)
(m/s)
(s)
1
5
10
20
c. Investigate the effect of mass on the projectile motion by typing in the masses shown in the table above.
Do not change any other variables.
Analysis:
Q1. Describe the shape of the path the projectile traces onto the screen.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Q2. What affect does mass have on the motion characteristics listed in the table above?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Q3. In the absence of air resistance, what is the name of the force on the mass during ‘flight’?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Q4. Does the force applied to each mass, during projection, vary as the mass increases?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Q5. Predict the time it takes for the projectile to reach maximum elevation.
Give reasoning for your choice.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Summary:
In the absence of air resistance, what is the relationship between the mass and the ‘flight’ time?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Virtual Lab on Projectile Motion
Procedure B: What is the effect of Initial Velocity on the motion of a projectile?
Refresh web page and set these variables: Mass = 5 kg and Angle = 45o
Launch
Maximum Range
Maximum
Final Velocity
Total Time
Velocity
(distance)
Elevation (height)
(m/s)
(meters)
(meters)
(m/s)
(s)
10
20
30
40
50
Q6. When the launch velocity was increased which of the data table measurements of the
projectile motion also increased?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Q7. How does the launch velocity and final velocity of the projectile compare for each launch?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Q8. Describe the shape of all the projectile paths in this part of the lab?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Q9 Sketch a graph of the launch speed (horizontal) vs the maximum elevation (vertical)
using the data from the table.
Describe its shape and predict the relationship between these two variables.
Virtual Lab on Projectile Motion
Procedure C: What is the effect of Launch Angle on the motion of a projectile?
Refresh web page and set these variables: Mass = 5 kg Velocity = 50 m/s
Angle of Maximum Range
Maximum
End Velocity
Total Time
Launch
(distance)
Elevation (height)
(degrees)
(meters)
(meters)
(m/s)
(s)
10
20
30
40
45
50
60
70
80
90
Q1.
At what angle was the maximum range (horizontal distance) reached?
…………………..
Q2.
At what angle was the maximum elevation achieved?
…………………..
Q3.
At what angle was the greatest time of ‘flight’ achieved?
…………………..
Q4.
Compare the maximum range (horizontal distance) reached for these pairs of launch angles.
10o = …………… meters and
80o = …………… meters
20o = …………… meters and
70o = …………… meters
What pattern is observed for these angle combinations and their maximum ranges?
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
What is the sum of these paired angles?
……………
List any other paired combinations in the data table that share the same maximum range.
Q5.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
A projectile is launched at an initial speed of 50 m/s with a horizontal angle of 76o .
Use the simulation to answer these questions:
What is its range? ……………… What other angle will produce the same range? ……………
Virtual Lab on Projectile Motion
Procedure C: What is the effect of air resistance on the motion of a projectile?
Refresh web page and set these variables: Mass = 5 kg and ....
Maximum
Maximum
Initial
End
Air Resistance
Angle
Range
Elevation
Velocity
Velocity
(distance)
(height)
(yes or no)
(m/s)
(degrees)
(meters)
(meters)
(m/s)
Yes
30
35
No
30
35
Yes
30
65
No
30
65
Yes
60
35
No
60
35
Yes
60
65
No
60
65
Yes
60
90
No
60
90
Q1.
Total
Time
(s)
What is the over-all effect of air resistance on these characteristics of projectile motion:
(Answer with: increase, decrease or no effect.)
a) Maximum Range: …………………….
b) Maximum Height: …………………….
c) Total Time ("hang time"): …………………….
d) End Velocity: …………………….
In the absence of air resistance, the projectile path is parabolic and symmetrical about the line passing
through maximum elevation.
Q2. Describe the path of the projectile under the influence of air resistance.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………….