TRAJECTORY OF A BULLET

Have you ever wondered how you should shoot a pistol in order to hit the bullseye of
a target? Or how should you shoot an arrow so that it hits the centre of the taget?
How should you hit a golf ball so that it flies onto the green? When should one release
a bomb from an aircraft so that it hits the target?
The cases discussed above – and many other similar cases – are examples of projectile
motion. In this, a body (its C.M.) moves both horizontally and vertically: forward-
backward and upward-downward.
Even though we now consider 2-dimensional motion, the equations of 1-dimensional
motion can be used in describing it. The reason for this is that horizontal and vertical
motion happen independently, totally regardless from each other.
Let us list down the derived formulae, which can be used in solving problems on one-
dimensional (1D) kinematics. Our assumption is that the acceleration remains
constant during the time interval in question.
𝑥𝑡 − 𝑥0   ave = 𝑣 0 +𝑣 𝑡
  ave =
𝑣 𝑣
𝑡 2

 𝑥 =𝑥 + 1 𝑣 + 𝑣 𝑡  𝑥 =𝑥 + 𝑣 𝑡 + 1 𝑎 𝑡 2
𝑡 0 ( 0 𝑡)
2 𝑡 0 0
2

𝑣𝑡 − 𝑣0
 
𝑎=
𝑡
𝑣  2𝑡 =𝑣 20 +2 𝑎 ( 𝑥 𝑡 − 𝑥 0 )
𝑣  𝑡 =𝑣 0 + 𝑎 𝑡

Let us add one more formula to the list. This is useful when time does not play any
part in the problem:
  1 2
(
𝑣 2𝑡 =( 𝑣 0 + 𝑎𝑡   )2=𝑣 20 +𝑎 2 𝑡 2+2 𝑣 0 𝑎𝑡 =𝑣 20 +2 𝑎 𝑣 0 𝑡 +
2 )
𝑎 𝑡 =𝑣20+ 2𝑎 ( 𝑥 𝑡 − 𝑥 0 )
Let us list down the derived formulae, which can be used in solving problems on one-
dimensional (1D) kinematics. Our assumption is that the acceleration remains
constant during the time interval in question.
𝑥𝑡 − 𝑥0   ave = 𝑣 0 +𝑣 𝑡
  ave =
𝑣 𝑣
𝑡 2

 𝑥 =𝑥 + 1 𝑣 + 𝑣 𝑡  𝑥 =𝑥 + 𝑣 𝑡 + 1 𝑎 𝑡 2
𝑡 0 ( 0 𝑡)
2 𝑡 0 0
2

𝑣𝑡 − 𝑣0
 
𝑎=
𝑡
𝑣  2𝑡 =𝑣 20 +2 𝑎 ( 𝑥 𝑡 − 𝑥 0 )
𝑣  𝑡 =𝑣 0 + 𝑎 𝑡

Let us consider only those equations of motion, which are relevant to projectile
Let us add
motion: one more
position andformula
velocityto
asthe list. Thisofistime.
a function useful when time does not play any
part in the problem:
  1 2
(
𝑣 2𝑡 =( 𝑣 0 + 𝑎𝑡   )2=𝑣 20 +𝑎 2 𝑡 2+2 𝑣 0 𝑎𝑡 =𝑣 20 +2 𝑎 𝑣 0 𝑡 +
2 )
𝑎 𝑡 =𝑣20+ 2𝑎 ( 𝑥 𝑡 − 𝑥 0 )
Let us list down the derived formulae, which can be usedofina solving
  Acceleration problems
freely falling body,on one-
i.e.,
dimensional (1D) kinematics. Our assumption is that the
acceleration ofacceleration
gravity, remains
No air during
constant resistance
the time interval in question.
𝑎
  𝑥 =0 𝑎  𝑦 =− 𝑔
 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 𝑣 𝑡 + 1 𝑎 𝑡 2  𝑦 =𝑣 𝑡 − 1 𝑔 𝑡 2
𝑡 0 0  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑡 𝑡 0𝑦
2 2

𝑣  𝑡 =𝑣 0 + 𝑎 𝑡 𝑣  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑣  𝑦𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑦 − 𝑔𝑡

Let us consider only those equations of motion, which are relevant to projectile
motion: position and velocity as a function of time.
  Let us describe the motion by using an system of coordinates so that the body starts
moving from its origin at Let us ignore air resistance, so that we can
calculate the position and velocity without higher mathematics.
  𝑦 𝑎
  𝑥 =0 𝑎  𝑦 =− 𝑔
  𝜃0 = 𝑣 0 𝑦
sin
𝑣0
 𝑦 =𝑣 𝑡 − 1 𝑔 𝑡 2
  𝜃0 = 𝑣 0 𝑥  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑡 𝑡 0𝑦
cos 2
𝑣0 𝑎   𝑥 =0 𝑎  𝑦 =− 𝑔
⇒ 
𝑣  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣
  0𝑥 1 2 𝑣  𝑦𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑦 − 𝑔𝑡
⃗𝑣 𝑣  0 𝑥 =𝑣 0 cos  𝑥𝜃𝑡0=𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑡 𝑦 𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑦 𝑡 −
2
𝑔𝑡
   0 0
𝑣
⃗𝑣  0 𝑦 𝑣  0 𝑦 𝑣  0 𝑦 =𝑣 0 sin 𝜃 0
𝜃𝜃  00
𝑣  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑣  𝑦𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑦 − 𝑔𝑡
 𝑥
𝑣  0 𝑥
⃗𝑣  0 𝑥

  and are the horizontal and the vertical component of the initial velocity. They can be
  calculated by using basic trigonometric functions. The angle between the
initial velocity vector, , and the axis is marked with the symbol .
 Let us handle the vector and it components geometrically, i.e., let us consider a right-
angled triangle, whose sides are of length , and .
   𝜃0 = 𝑣 0 𝑦
𝑎
  𝑥 =0 𝑎  𝑦 =− 𝑔
sin
𝑣0
 𝑦 =𝑣 𝑡 − 1 𝑔 𝑡 2
  𝜃0 = 𝑣 0 𝑥  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑡 𝑡 0𝑦
cos 2
𝑣0
⇒ 
𝑣  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑥 𝑣  𝑦𝑡 =𝑣 0 𝑦 − 𝑔𝑡
𝑣  0 𝑥 =𝑣 0 cos 𝜃0
𝑣
  0
𝑣  0 𝑦 𝑣  0 𝑦 =𝑣 0 sin 𝜃 0
𝜃  0
𝑣  0 𝑥

 𝑥
  1 2
𝑡 =𝑣 0 cos𝜃0 𝑡 𝑦 𝑡 =𝑣 0 sin 𝜃 0 𝑡 − 𝑔 𝑡
2
⇒ 
𝑣  𝑥𝑡 =𝑣 0 cos𝜃0 𝑣  𝑦𝑡 =𝑣 0 sin 𝜃0 − 𝑔𝑡
Example 1.   Tero Pitkämäki throws a javelin so that it leaves Tero’s hand 2.2 m above the
ground. The javelin starts flying at above the horizontal. It flies for 4.6 s before
landing onto the grass.
a) What was the initial velocity of the javelin?
b) Calculate Tero’s result.
c) How high did the javelin fly, at maximum?

Example 2.  At Barcelona olympic games in 1992 the olympic flames were ignited by
shooting a burning arrow over a 24 m high tower, according to the figure below.
What was the intial velocity of the arrow, so that it is at the peak of its trajectory
at the tower? Assume the arrow started to fly at above the horizontal. How far
from the foot of the tower was the shooter ()?

50 cm

1.30 m
Example 3.   The world record of the long jump is 895 cm. Assume the athlete begins to fly at
above the direction of his running direction.
a) For how long was the jumper in flight? Assume his C.M. was initially 100 cm

above the sand, and 40 cm above it at the end of his flight.

b) What was the velocity of the jumper at the moment of takeoff?
c) How high did the jumper’s C.M. rise, at maximum?
Example 4.   Water droplets emerging from a firehose form a shower as shown in the figure
below. The droplets leave the nozzle at so that the uppermost droplets strart
flying at above the horizontal, whereas the lowest droplets begin to fly at below
the horizontal. If the nozzle is 1.5 m above the ground, how wide a segment
becomes wet on the ground ()?

𝑤
 
Problem 1.   Your friend leaves home from your place, and forgets his keys onto your sofa. You
go to the balcony and throw the keys to your friend, who stands on the street
waiting for the keys. The keys leave your hand 6.0 m above your friend’s hand, and
the keys start flying at , above the horizontal. How far from your hand should your
friend be standing, in order to get the flying keys into his hand?

Problem 2. A bomber is flying horizontally at an altitude of 7.50 km with a constant speed of .

The plane releases 40 bombs at even time intervals, on average 100 bombs per
minute. How far, horizontally measured, from the point of release will the bombs
hit the ground? Will they all fall onto the same spot? If not, how far from each other
will they strike the ground? Draw a schematic diagram of the bombs and the plane
at the moment the first 10 bombs have left the plane.
Problem 3.   Ater the swing, a golf ball starts flying at above the horizontal as fast as . How
far will the ball travel horizontally if the tee is 3.0 m above the fairway? Assume
the ball rolls on the fairway 30 m after it hit the grass.

Problem 4. In snowball fight, which takes place on a horizontal surface, Peter throws a
snowball toward the opponent in a direction above the horizontal. The ball flies
3.9 s before it meets the opponent, falling toward the opponent’s stomach from
a high altitude. After some time, Peter throws another ball with the same initial
speed at an initial angle of only , so that this ball will fly toward the opponent
relatively horizontally. When the opponent is concentrating on the first ball, the
other one will hit his stomach at the same time as the first ball.
a) How much later must the second ball be thrown, so that the balls will hit the
opponent at the same time?
b) What is the initial speed of the balls, if the boys are 16.0 m away from each
other?
c) Prove that the balls always fly the same horizontal distance if the sum of
their initial direction angles is .