PROJECTILE

MOTION
 PROJECTILE MOTION
⟶a combination of vertical and
horizontal motion that are completely
independent of each other.
The horizontal motion of a
projectile is uniform while the vertical
motion is uniformly accelerated.
y

x
y

x
y

x
 • The vertical motion is
y
uniformly accelerated
• The acceleration is
constant, and
downward
• a = g = -9.8 m/s2
• The horizontal (x)
component of velocity
is constant

g = -9.8 m/s2 • The horizontal and

vertical motions are
independent of each
other, but they have
a common time
x
 PROJECTILE
⟶ is a body that is given an initial
velocity and continue to move
under the influence of gravity.
Examples of projectile
 a batted baseball
 a thrown football
 a bullet shot from a gun
 a stone kicked off the top of a cliff
 TRAJECTORY
⟶the path followed by a
projectile.
The trajectory of a projectile
that accelerates only in the
vertical directions while
moving at a constant
horizontal velocity is a
parabola. The trajectory will be
parabolic when air resistance
can be neglected.
Projectile Motion
Projectile launched
horizontally
 Projectile Launched Horizontally
• A projectile launched horizontally
has no initial vertical velocity. Thus, its
vertical motion is identical to that of a
dropped object. The downward velocity
increases uniformly due to gravity as
shown by the vector arrows of increasing
lengths. The horizontal velocity is uniform
as shown by the identical horizontal
 Equations for Projectile Launched
Horizontally
Horizontal Component
1. dx = vxt
2. vx = dx
t
where:
dx is the horizontal displacement
vx is the horizontal velocity
 Equations for Projectile Launched
Horizontally
Vertical Component
1. dy = ½gt2
2. vy = gt
where:
dy is the vertical displacement
vy is the vertical velocity

t is the time
 Examples of Projectile Launched
Horizontally
vix

- 9.8 m/s

-19.6 m/s

-29.4 m/s

-39.2m/s

- 49 m/s
 Sample Problem

1. A stone is thrown horizontally with an initial

horizontal velocity of 8 m/s from the top of a
cliff 80 m high. How far from the base of the
cliff will the stone strike the ground?
Given: vix = vx = 8 m/s
g = -9.8 m/s2
viy = 0
dy = - 80 m
Unknown: dx = _____
Equation: dx = vxt
 SOLUTION
Solving for t
dy = ½ gt2
-80 m = ½ (-9.8 m/s2)t2
-80 m = (-4.9 m/s2)t2
t = 4.04 sec
Solving for dx
Equation: dx = vxt
Substitution: dx = (8 m/s)(4.04 s)
Final Answer: dx = 32.32 m
2. A ball leaves a 0.6 m high table with an
initial horizontal velocity of 2.4 m/s. Find
the time required for the ball to reach the
ground and the horizontal displacement
covered by the ball.
Given: vix = vx = 2.4 m/s
g = -9.8 m/s2
viy = 0
dy = - 0.6 m
a. Unknown: t = _____
dy = ½ gt2
-0.6 m = ½ (-9.8 m/s2)t2
-0.6 m = (-4.9 m/s2)t2
t = 0.35 sec
b. Unknown: dx = _____
Equation: dx = vxt
Substitution: dx = (2.4 m/s)(0.35 s)
Final Answer: dx = 0.84 m
3. A rock thrown horizontally from the top of a
building lands 17 meters from the base of the
building. If its initial horizontal velocity is
9.5 m/s, how high is the building?
Given: vix = vx = 9.5 m/s
g = -9.8 m/s2
viy = 0
dx = 17 m
Unknown: dy = _____
Solving for t
dx = vxt
17 m = (9.5 m/s)t
t = 1.79 sec
Solving for dy
Equation: dy = ½ gt2
Substitution: dy = ½ (-9.8 m/s2)(1.79 s)2
Final Answer: dy = - 15.70 m
Projectile launched
at an angle
Projectile launched at an angle
 Projectile launched at an angle
When a projectile is launched upward at an angle, its
velocity has two components:
1. A constant horizontal velocity that moves in the same
direction as the launched, the acceleration of which is
zero.
2. An upward positive vertical velocity component that is
decreasing in magnitude until it becomes zero at the top
of the trajectory (therefore it no longer goes up). But
because gravity makes it accelerate downward at a rate
9.8 m/s2, (therefore it stays at rest only for an instant),
then it will start to descend with an increasing negative
vertical velocity until it stops.
 So as the projectile moves forward
horizontally with uniform velocity, its vertical
velocity is also accelerated creating a trajectory
that is a parabola.
 For a projectile beginning and ending at the
same height, the time it takes a projectile to
rise to its highest point equals the time it takes
to fall from the highest point back to its
original position.
Projectile launched at an angle
Equations for Projectile Launched at an
Angle
Horizontal Component
1. ax = 0 vx = constant
2. vix = vi (cos Ѳ)
3. vfx= vx = vix
4. dx = vxt
5. R = vxT
6. T = 2t where t is the time to reach the
maximum height.
Where:
vi is the initial velocity
vix is the initial horizontal velocity
vx is the horizontal velocity
vfx is the final horizontal velocity
dx is the horizontal displacement
t is the time
T is the total time of flight
R is the range
Equations for Projectile Launched at an
Angle
Vertical Component
1. ay = g = -9.8 m/s2
2. viy = vi(sin Ѳ)
3. vy = viy + gt
4. dy = viyt + ½ gt2
5. vy2 = viy2 + 2gdy
Where:
vi is the initial velocity
viy is the initial vertical velocity
vy is the vertical velocity
vfy is the final vertical velocity
dy is the vertical displacement
t is the time
g = -9.8 m/s2
 Range of a Projectile
 The Range (R) is the horizontal displacement
of a projectile while the height (h) is the
vertical displacement of a projectile.
Maximum range can be attained if the
projectile is launched at an angle of 450.
 Complementary values of initial angle of
release result in the same range if the projectile
was release with the same initial velocity.
Range of a Projectile
 Sample Problem
1. A ball is thrown with an initial
velocity of 40 m/s at an angle of 30 0
with the horizontal. Neglecting air
resistance, find:
a. the time it takes the ball to reach
the maximum height;
b. the maximum height it attains;
c. the total time of flight; and
d. the range of the projectile.
Given: vi = 40 m/s
Ѳ = 300
g = -9.8 m/s2
Solve for vix and viy
vix = vi(cos Ѳ)
vix = (40 m/s)(cos 300)
vix = 34.64 m/s
viy = vi(sin Ѳ)
v = (40 m/s)(sin 300)
a. Unknown: t = _____ at vy = 0
Equation: vy = viy + gt
Substitution: 0 = (20 m/s) + (- 9.8 m/s 2)t
Final Answer: t = 2.04 sec

b. Unknown: dy = _____ at vy = 0
Equation: vy2 = viy2 + 2gdy
Substitution: 02 = (20 m/s)2 + 2(- 9.8 m/s2)dy
Final Answer: dy = 20.41 m
c. Unknown: T = _____
Equation: T = 2t
Substitution: T = 2( 2.04 s)
Final Answer: T = 4.08 sec

d. Unknown: R = _____
Equation: R = vxT
Substitution: R = (34.64 m/s)(4.08 s)
Final Answer: R = 141.33 m
2. A football is kicked with an
initial velocity of 25 m/s at an
angle of 500 with the horizontal.
Neglecting air resistance,
determine the maximum height
reach by the ball, the total time of
flight, and the maximum
horizontal displacement.
Given: vi = 25 m/s
Ѳ = 500
g = -9.8 m/s2
Solve for vix and viy
vix = vi(cos Ѳ)
vix = (25 m/s)(cos 500)
vix = 16.07 m/s
viy = vi(sin Ѳ)
a. Unknown: dy = _____ at vy = 0
Equation: vy2 = viy2 + 2gdy
Substitution: 02 = (19.15 m/s)2 + 2(- 9.8 m/s2)dy
Final Answer: dy = 18.71 m
b. Unknown: T = ______
Solve for time to reach the maximum height

t = _____ at vy = 0
Equation: vy = viy + gt
 T = 2t
T = 2( 1.954 s)
T = 3.908 sec

c. Unknown: R = _____
Equation: R = vxT
Substitution: R = (16.07 m/s)(3.908 s)
Final Answer: R = 62.80 m