Projectiles

Projectiles - Edexcel Past Exam Questions

1. Figure 4

32 m s–1

A 
B
20 m
16 m

O C
A particle P is projected from a point A with speed 32 m s–1 at an angle of elevation , where
sin  = 53 . The point O is on horizontal ground, with O vertically below A and OA = 20 m. The
particle P moves freely under gravity and passes through a point B, which is 16 m above
ground, before reaching the ground at the point C, as shown in Figure 4.

Calculate

(a) the time of the flight from A to C, (5)

(b) the distance OC, (3)

(c) the speed of P at B, (4)

(d) the angle that the velocity of P at B makes with the horizontal. (3)

Jan 05 Q7

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 Projectiles

2. A darts player throws darts at a dart board which hangs vertically. The motion of a dart is
modelled as that of a particle moving freely under gravity. The darts move in a vertical plane
which is perpendicular to the plane of the dart board. A dart is thrown horizontally with
speed 12.6 m s–1. It hits the board at a point which is 10 cm below the level from which it was
thrown.

(a) Find the horizontal distance from the point where the dart was thrown to the dart board.(4)

The darts player moves his position. He now throws a dart from a point which is at a horizontal
distance of 2.5 m from the board. He throws the dart at an angle of elevation  to the horizontal,
where tan  = 247 . This dart hits the board at a point which is at the same level as the point
from which it was thrown.

(b) Find the speed with which the dart is thrown. (6)
June 05 Q4

3.

11 m s–1 T

C
A 30
2m

1m Figure 3
10 m

The object of a game is to throw a ball B from a point A to hit a target T which is placed at the
top of a vertical pole, as shown in Figure 3. The point A is 1 m above horizontal ground and
the height of the pole is 2 m. The pole is at a horizontal distance of 10 m from A. The ball B is
projected from A with a speed of 11 m s–1 at an angle of elevation of 30. The ball hits the pole
at the point C. The ball B and the target T are modelled as particles.

(a) Calculate, to 2 decimal places, the time taken for B to move from A to C. (3)

(b) Show that C is approximately 0.63 m below T. (4)

The ball is thrown again from A. The speed of projection of B is increased to V m s–1, the angle
of elevation remaining 30. This time B hits T.

(c) Calculate the value of V. (6)

(d) Explain why, in practice, a range of values of V would result in B hitting the target. (1)
Jan 06 Q7

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 Projectiles

4. A vertical cliff is 73.5 m high. Two stones A and B are projected simultaneously. Stone A is
projected horizontally from the top of the cliff with speed 28 m s–1. Stone B is projected from
the bottom of the cliff with speed 35 m s–1 at an angle  above the horizontal. The stones move
freely under gravity in the same vertical plane and collide in mid-air. By considering the
horizontal motion of each stone,

(a) prove that cos  = 4

5
. (4)

(b) Find the time which elapses between the instant when the stones are projected and the
instant when they collide. (4)

June 06 Q5

5. Figure 3
1
u ms


A

45 m
30 m

B D

A particle P is projected from a point A with speed u m s–1 at an angle of elevation , where
cos  = 54 . The point B, on horizontal ground, is vertically below A and AB = 45 m. After
projection, P moves freely under gravity passing through point C, 30 m above the ground,
before striking the ground at the point D, as shown in Figure 3.

Given that P passes through C with speed 24.5 m s–1,

(a) using conservation of energy, or otherwise, show that u = 17.5, (4)

(b) find the size of the angle which the velocity of P makes with the horizontal as P passes
through C, (3)

(c) find the distance BD. (7)

Jan 07 Q7

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 Projectiles

6.
Figure 4

A golf ball P is projected with speed 35 m s–1 from a point A on a cliff above horizontal ground.
The angle of projection is  to the horizontal, where tan  = 43 . The ball moves freely under
gravity and hits the ground at the point B, as shown in Figure 4.

(a) Find the greatest height of P above the level of A. (3)

The horizontal distance from A to B is 168 m.

(b) Find the height of A above the ground. (6)

(c) find the speed of P as it hits the ground at B. (3)

June 07 Q6

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 Projectiles

7.

Figure 3
[In this question, the unit vectors i and j are in a vertical plane, i being horizontal and j being
vertical.]

A particle P is projected from the point A which has position vector 47.5j metres with respect
to a fixed origin O. The velocity of projection of P is (2ui + 5uj) m s–1. The particle moves
freely under gravity passing through the point B with position vector 30i metres, as shown in
Figure 3.

(a) Show that the time taken for P to move from A to B is 5 s. (6)

(b) Find the value of u. (2)

(c) Find the speed of P at B. (5)

Jan 08 Q6

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 Projectiles

8.

Figure 4

A ball is thrown from a point A at a target, which is on horizontal ground. The point A is 12 m
above the point O on the ground. The ball is thrown from A with speed 25 m s–1 at an angle of
30° below the horizontal. The ball is modelled as a particle and the target as a point T. The
distance OT is 15 m. The ball misses the target and hits the ground at the point B, where OTB
is a straight line, as shown in Figure 4. Find

(a) the time taken by the ball to travel from A to B, (5)

(b) the distance TB. (4)

The point X is on the path of the ball vertically above T.

(c) Find the speed of the ball at X. (5)

June 08 Q7

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 Projectiles

9.

Figure 3

A cricket ball is hit from a point A with velocity of (pi + qj) m s–1, at an angle α above the
horizontal. The unit vectors i and j are respectively horizontal and vertically upwards. The
point A is 0.9 m vertically above the point O, which is on horizontal ground.

The ball takes 3 seconds to travel from A to B, where B is on the ground and OB = 57.6 m, as
shown in Figure 3. By modelling the motion of the cricket ball as that of a particle moving
freely under gravity,

(a) find the value of p, (2)

(b) show that q = 14.4, (3)

(c) find the initial speed of the cricket ball, (2)

(d) find the exact value of tan α. (1)

(e) Find the length of time for which the cricket ball is at least 4 m above the ground. (6)

(f) State an additional physical factor which may be taken into account in a refinement of the
above model to make it more realistic. (1)
Jan 09 Q6

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10.

Figure 3

A child playing cricket on horizontal ground hits the ball towards a fence 10 m away. The ball
moves in a vertical plane which is perpendicular to the fence. The ball just passes over the top
of the fence, which is 2 m above the ground, as shown in Figure 3.

The ball is modelled as a particle projected with initial speed u m s–1 from point O on the
ground at an angle α to the ground.

(a) By writing down expressions for the horizontal and vertical distances, from O of the ball
t seconds after it was hit, show that

50 g
2 = 10 tan α – .
u cos 2 
2

(6)

Given that α = 45°,

(b) find the speed of the ball as it passes over the fence. (6)
June 09 Q6

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11. [In this question i and j are unit vectors in a horizontal and upward vertical direction
respectively.]

A particle P is projected from a fixed point O on horizontal ground with velocity u(i + cj) m s–
1
, where c and u are positive constants. The particle moves freely under gravity until it strikes
the ground at A, where it immediately comes to rest. Relative to O, the position vector of a
point on the path of P is (xi + yj) m.

(a) Show that

4.9 x 2
y = cx − .
u2
(5)

Given that u = 7, OA = R m and the maximum vertical height of P above the ground is H m,

(b) using the result in part (a), or otherwise, find, in terms of c,

(i) R

(ii) H. (6)

Given also that when P is at the point Q, the velocity of P is at right angles to its initial velocity,

(c) find, in terms of c, the value of x at Q. (6)

Jan 10 Q8

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12.

Figure 3

A ball is projected with speed 40 m s–1 from a point P on a cliff above horizontal ground. The
point O on the ground is vertically below P and OP is 36 m. The ball is projected at an angle θ°
to the horizontal. The point Q is the highest point of the path of the ball and is 12 m above the
level of P. The ball moves freely under gravity and hits the ground at the point R, as shown in
Figure 3. Find

(a) the value of θ, (3)

(b) the distance OR, (6)

(c) the speed of the ball as it hits the ground at R. (3)

June 10 Q7

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13. [In this question, the unit vectors i and j are in a vertical plane, i being horizontal and j being
vertically upwards.]

Figure 3

At time t = 0, a particle P is projected from the point A which has position vector 10j metres
with respect to a fixed origin O at ground level. The ground is horizontal. The velocity of
projection of P is (3i + 5j) m s–1, as shown in Figure 3. The particle moves freely under gravity
and reaches the ground after T seconds.

(a) For 0  t  T, show that, with respect to O, the position vector, r metres, of P at time
t seconds is given by
r = 3ti + (10 + 5t – 4.9t2)j (3)

(b) Find the value of T. (3)

(c) Find the velocity of P at time t seconds (0  t  T ). (2)

When P is at the point B, the direction of motion of P is 45° below the horizontal.

(d) Find the time taken for P to move from A to B. (2)

(e) Find the speed of P as it passes through B. (2)

Jan 11 Q6

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 Projectiles

14. A particle is projected from a point O with speed u at an angle of elevation  above the
horizontal and moves freely under gravity. When the particle has moved a horizontal
distance x, its height above O is y.

(a) Show that

gx 2
y = x tan  – . (4)
2u 2 cos 2 

A girl throws a ball from a point A at the top of a cliff. The point A is 8 m above a horizontal
beach. The ball is projected with speed 7 m s−1 at an angle of elevation of 45°. By modelling
the ball as a particle moving freely under gravity,

(b) find the horizontal distance of the ball from A when the ball is 1 m above the beach. (5)

A boy is standing on the beach at the point B vertically below A. He starts to run in a straight
line with speed v m s−1, leaving B 0.4 seconds after the ball is thrown.

He catches the ball when it is 1 m above the beach.

(c) Find the value of v. (4)

June 11 Q8

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