Edexcel AL Mathematics: Projectiles

Section 1: Introduction
Notes and Examples
These notes contain the following subsections:
Modelling assumptions
General strategy for projectile questions
Components of the velocity
Finding the time of flight, range and maximum height

Modelling assumptions
When you are working with projectiles, you will usually make the following assumptions:
• The projectile is a particle
• It is not powered (so the only force acting is gravity)
• The air has no effect on its motion (no air resistance)
Without these assumptions, analysing projectile motion would be much harder. In many
situations these assumptions will not make a significant difference to the final answer, so
they are reasonable. However, throwing a flat sheet of paper, for example, could not
usefully be analysed without taking account of the effects of air resistance.

General strategy for projectile questions

The diagram shows the path of a projectile with initial velocity V, projected at angle  to the
horizontal.

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Splitting the velocity into two components, horizontal and vertical, is the standard way to
solve projectiles questions. The equations of motion are then applied to each component of
velocity. The main ones used are:
• v = u + at
• s = ut + 12 at 2
where t is the time of flight.

Vertically Horizontally
The only acceleration is due to gravity: ay = − g ax = 0

Resolving the velocity: u y = V sin  ux = V cos

Using v = u + at : v y = V sin  − gt vx = V cos

Using s = ut + 12 at
2
y = Vt sin  − 12 gt 2 x = Vt cos

When a projectile starts from a position h0 above ground level (for example if it is projected from the top of a
cliff of height h0 ) then y = h0 + Vt sin  − 12 gt 2 .

Sometimes it may be more efficient to work in vector form, so that you are dealing with the
vertical and horizontal motion at the same time.

Using column vectors rather than the ai + bj form of a vector is often clearer since you can then read each
separate equation off.

Applying the vector equation v = u + at gives

 vx   V cos   0 
v  =   +  −g t
 y  V sin    
Applying the vector equation s = ut + 12 at gives
2

 x   V cos  1  0  2
 y  =  V sin   t + 2  − g  t
     

For a projectile which starts from a height h0 then

 x   0   V cos   1  0  2
 y  =  h  +  V sin   t +  − g  t
   0   2 

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Components of the velocity

The vertical component

When the vertical component of velocity is positive, the particle is rising.
At the instant the vertical component of velocity is 0, the particle is at maximum height.
When the vertical component of velocity is negative, the particle is falling.

The horizontal component

The horizontal velocity remains constant as the only acceleration is due to gravity which
acts vertically downwards.

−1
It is worth noting that a particle which is fired from the top of a cliff at 100 m s horizontally and another
which is dropped from the top of the same cliff at the same time will land on the ground at the same time!
−1
This is because they both have an initial vertical component of velocity of 0 ms . Their initial horizontal
components of velocity will have no effect on their motion in the vertical direction.

Direction of flight
The direction of flight depends upon the ratio of the horizontal and vertical velocities.
As the horizontal velocity remains constant, the direction of flight changes because of the
change in the vertical velocity.
The direction of flight can be obtained by combining the velocity components in the usual
way:

vy v 
The direction of flight is found using tan  =   = arctan  y  .
vx  vx 

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Finding the time of flight, range and maximum height

Time of flight
The time of flight can be found in two ways:
Use v = 0 in v = u + at to find the time to maximum height, and then double it. This only
works if the starting and finishing points are on the same level.

Put y = h in s = ut + 12 at , where h is the vertical displacement from its starting point

2

when the particle lands, then solve this quadratic to give t. If the projectile starts and stops
at the same level, h = 0 .

There will be two solutions to the quadratic, but the time when the particle lands must be the greater (think
about why this is the case).

Range
The range is found by multiplying the time of flight with the horizontal component of the
velocity.

Remember, for a projectile, the horizontal component of velocity is constant. It may be stating the obvious,
but the range is always increasing whilst the particle is off the ground.

Maximum height
At the maximum height, the vertical component of velocity is 0, so use v = 0 in
v 2 = u 2 + 2as to get the maximum height and in v = u + at to get the time to maximum
height.

Note that it is possible to derive generalised equations for the time of flight, range and maximum height in
terms of the speed and direction of projection. You are not expected to know these formulae, but you should
know how to derive them, using the methods above.

Example 1

 4 −1 0
A ball is projected with a velocity   ms from a position   m.
 5 10 
−2
Taking g = 10 ms find:

(a) the maximum height

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(b) the time of flight
(c) the range.
(d) the angle of flight after 1 second.

Solution

The curved line shows the path of the projectile

(a) At the maximum height, the vertical velocity is 0.

So, using the equation

v 2 = u 2 + 2as
02 = 52 + 2(−10) s
25
s= = 1.25
20
So the maximum height is 1.25 metres above the starting point, 11.25 metres above
the ground.

The time of flight can be obtained using s = s0 + ut + 12 at , considering the vertical

2
(b)
motion of the projectile.

Here s0 = 10 , as the particle starts from 10 metres above the ground, rather than from the origin.

s = s0 + ut + 12 at 2
= 10 + 5t + 12 ( −10 ) t 2
The particle lands when s = 0 , so

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 5t 2 − 5t − 10 = 0
5 ( t + 1)( t − 2 ) = 0
So t = −1, which is impossible, or t = 2 .
The time of flight is 2 seconds.

(c) The range is just the horizontal velocity, which remains constant, multiplied by the
time of flight.
−1
So the range is 4 ms  2 s = 8 m

(d) The direction of the flight is given by the ratio of the velocities.
After 1 second, the vertical velocity is found using v = u + at
v = 5 + (−10)  1
v = −5
−1
The horizontal velocity is still 4 ms . It does not change.

5
Angle of flight: tan A =  A = 51.3 (3s.f.)
4
So, after 1 second, the direction of flight is 51.3 (3 s.f.) below the horizontal.

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