What is Projectile: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A projectile is any object thrown by the exertion of a force. It can also be defined as an object launched into the space and allowed to move free under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any object in motion through space (for example a thrown baseball, kicked football, fired bullet, thrown arrow, stone released from catapult) may be called projectiles, they are commonly found in warfare and sports. Mathematical equations of motion are used to analyze projectile trajectories.

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  1. R

    Show that a projectile lands at a distance ##R = \frac{2v_0^2 sin \theta cos(\theta + \phi)}{g cos^2 \phi}##

    ##V_x = V_0 cos \theta ## ##x = V_0 cos \theta t## ##V_y = V_0 cos \theta ## ##y = V_0 cos \theta t## ##F_x = m\ddot{x}## ##-mgsin \phi = m\ddot{x}## ##\dot{x} = -gtsin\phi + V_x## ##x = -\frac{1}{2} gt^2 sin \phi + V_x t## ##x = -\frac{1}{2} gt^2 sin \phi + v_0 cos\theta t## ##F_y =...
  2. neilparker62

    Insights Quaternions in Projectile Motion

    Continue reading...
  3. Istiak

    Projectile motion problem (moving ships firing a projectile)

    Question : Solution attempt :
  4. G

    Movement of a Ball Bearing within a cavity inside a Projectile

    Summary:: Question concerning the behavior of a ball bearing inside a projectile fired straight up or at an arc. Within a projectile is a 1-inch cylindrical cavity, inside of which is a steel ball bearing that can freely roll along the length of the cavity. When the projectile is fired...
  5. Ferdel

    Max Height and Distance of Projectile: Theory & Simulation

    How can i find the angle that a projectile is fired where the maximun height is the same as the traveling distance? I need to find this first in a theoretical way, then i need to confirm this with a simulation. And i need to use only this y=yo+Voyt+1/2gt^2 x=Voxt
  6. kuruman

    How to Solve Projectile Motion Problems in One or Two Lines

    [url="https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/how-to-solve-projectile-motion-problems-in-one-or-two-lines/"]Continue reading...
  7. VexCarido

    Projectile Intercept Math & Trigonometry

    Looking for some guidance on how to set up the equations for a projectile intercept given that you have perfect information about the target velocity, size and weather conditions in a 3D scenario, it's for an amateur videogame that I'm developing in my spare time For simplicity sake let's...
  8. brotherbobby

    Projectile motion with (constant) wind velocity

    Let me start be making a small sketch of the problem, shown to the right. If the range of the projectile on a still day ##R = v_{0x}T##, then on the windy day the range becomes ##R+2H = v'_{0x}T = (v_{0x}+v_w) T##. Since the maximum height attained by the projectile ##H =...
  9. TheGreatDeadOne

    Conservation of momentum in an oblique launch and projectile explosion

    This problem I already solved using another resource (just get the coordinate of the center of mass reach and from it, get to the larger mass. R = (3v02) / (4g)). But I'm having some trouble calculating using moment conservation. Here what I've done so far: $$ 3\vec v_0 = \vec v_1 +2\vec v_2 $$...
  10. V

    What height was reached by a projectile of a pressurized system (pics)

    There is a pressurized system at work that operates at 500 psi. The line is 22" in diameter. One of the valves failed at the body to bonnet connection and launched the valve (5,000 lbs) up and through the roof. I was curious if it is possible to calculate the height reached.
  11. flyparnape

    Finding the Velocity of a Projectile knowing only Launch Angle and Flight Time

    I don't know the distance or the horizontal velocity so I can't find any logical solution
  12. neilparker62

    Maximizing Horizontal Range of a Projectile

    Continue reading...
  13. rg0ldberg

    Projectile Motion with a backwards Rotation/Tumble

    I'm having a bit of a problem with some projectile motion. The standard motion is not a problem, but how to I compensate for a projectile that is rotating or tumbling backwards (nose over tail) at a significant rate of speed. The Tumble rotation is about 50 degrees/second on a cylindrical...
  14. P

    Help with drag coefficient calculated from ballistic coefficient

    I want to make a video game about snipers and I would like it to have proper bullet physics, not something very accurate, but with "credible" bullet physics. So I need to implement a simple trajectory solver. I thought of taking into account just the gravity and turbulent air drag. The...
  15. R

    Determining optimal barrel length for a projectile

    Hello, I was wondering of anybody has a formula to determine the optimal barrel length for a firearm using a particular cartridge? For example, the M855 cartridge which has a 62gr. projectile and uses WC-844 propellant, which has a known burn rate etc. The longer the barrel, the more...
  16. R

    Projectile Motion -- Help please understanding these basic problems

    1)Find the range of the gun when the muzzle speed is 400m/s and the elevation 24.5° - I tried to find " Time " via t= [v-u]/a by substituting it through cos--> t= ( 0- [400cos24.5] )/-10 and got [ 36.39 ]. Which I then substituted in S=ut---> S= ( 400cos24.5 ) x 36.39=13245.3. [ the answer...
  17. Leejia

    Projectile problems (Stuck at equation and answer)

    Hi i get the answer about 203.xxx ms ^–1 and 81.7 degree but the book answer given is not similar to my answer, So I hope helper can help me verified this ans
  18. S

    Projectile Motion: Using an arrow to shoot a coconut dropped by a monkey

    Let: ##x## = horizontal distance from person to tree ##h_t## = height where arrow hits the coconut (measured from ground) ##h_o## = height of monkey ##u## = initial speed of arrow ##\theta = 35^0## ##t = 1~ \text{s}## Vertical displacement of coconut until it is hit: $$h_t - h_o = -\frac{1}{2}...
  19. VexCarido

    Runge-Kutta Projectile Approximation From Initial Conditions

    Hi everyone. I'm a new member, great to be here:) I have a few questions that I wanted to ask you guys regarding the method by which we implement the Runge-Kutta approximation of Projectile Motion if we should do it using a numerical iterative method with a Spreadsheet like Excel. I have...
  20. S

    Time of flight of a projectile

    These questions normally have initial velocity = 0, so that one of the t terms cancels. In this case u = 20ms^-1 so I end up with a quadratic. Which is fine if I plug it into the quadratic formula as one result is -ve so can be ignored, while the other gives t as +ve. just wondering if this is...
  21. kshitij

    Projectile Motion in 2D: Solving for Maximum Range in Inclined Planes

    I know the conventional method for solving this question using the formula for maximum range of a projectile in an inclined plane, but since it is an objective problem, if we consider a non general case where α=0, then clearly we can see that (see attachment) only one option matches which...
  22. L

    Proportionality theorem and projectile motion

    So i have this question. If a projectile is fired from a spring loaded system and when it goes pass a chronograph, reads 300FPS and has a mass of 0.12grams. Is there any way to use the proportionality theorem (1/3=x/6 example) to approximate how fast a mass of 0.25grams is when fired from same...
  23. CallMeDirac

    How can I determine the parabola of a projectile?

    I have been puzzling over an equation that could be made to show the parabola of a projectile. So far I have determined that the lateral and vertical velocities are needed, the lateral velocity should determine the x² function but after that I am stuck. To specify I refused to look this up as...
  24. kuruman

    How to Master Projectile Motion Without Quadratics

    Continue reading...
  25. K

    Is Air Resistance Negligible in Projectile Motion Experiments?

    Total acceleration equaled = -9.81
  26. H

    Projectile motion -- throwing an object vertically

    I don't need to know how to solve this but I was just looking for the answer. Can anyone help? A man is standing at a launch site. The rocket doesn't liftoff. Frustrated s/he throws it straight up with a speed of 12.42 m/s. It is caught on the way down at a point 5.0 meters above where it was...
  27. randomphysicsguy123

    Projectile Motion (not on Earth)

    I know I need to solve for acceleration as I am not on Earth and I am assuming I should create a distance vs. time graph. But overall I am unsure what to do. Please help been stuck on this for a while.
  28. T

    Mechanics; grade 12 Projectile motion

    Summary:: Scooby-Doo wants a Scooby Snack. According to a website I looked up last night, Scooby can run at a speed of 36 km/h. He runs up a ramp (as shown, 2.0 meters high, 4.0 meters long) at that speed and off the edge. Three meters from the end of the ramp, Shaggy has a Scooby-Snack...
  29. MichaelTam

    Hitting a rocket with a projectile

    A person standing a distance 𝑑 from the rocket launch site shoots a projectile at 𝑡=0 at an initial speed 𝑣0 at an angle 𝜃0 with respect to the horizontal as shown in the figure above. The projectile hits the rocket just when the rocket reaches its maximum height. The downward gravitational...
  30. S

    Mechanics: Find the minimum initial velocity and angle of this projectile

    Attempt at solution in attachment.
  31. J

    Launching a projectile to hit a target moving away from the launch point

  32. CommissarCold

    Exhaustive Projectile Analysis

    Good afternoon. As part of a personal hobby, I've been trying to design a relatively small projectile that can travel at 'bullet speed' (say, a .22 caliber bullet fired from an appropriately sized gun). I understand that the overwhelming majority of mass-produced bullets today come in a small...
  33. Joe591

    Projectile Fired by Burning Propellant: Gas Cycle?

    In thermodynamics you have ideal gas cycles. A example of this is the Otto cycle where there is adiabatic compression followed by constant volume combustion, followed by adiabatic expansion and then finally heat rejection at constant volume. What I'm wondering is whether there is a similar type...
  34. B

    Direction of acceleration of a projectile with drag force

    First and foremost, thank you so much for your help! I'm new to Physics Forums, and this is my first post. I thought I understood the problem, but as I moved on to the subsequent parts of it became apparent that I was missing something. I set up my ##F = ma## equation as below, and solved that...
  35. Q

    Finding the maximum height of a projectile

    Using the equations for constant acceleration, we can write the following set of equations for this problem: We have the following known physical constraints: Solving the above system of equations and constraints with a computer algebra system: So, all the solutions I found make...
  36. DrPython

    Calculate the air pressure needed for a projectile to travel X distance

    Hello! I'm brand new to the physics forum so please excuse any mistakes I make. I'm not even sure if I'm in the right forum section lol. My goal is to create a air cannon to launch a piece of dog food (super overkill) and I have pretty much 0 background in anything post-high school physics. I'm...
  37. Q

    Finding the final y-position of a projectile

    Summary:: After firing a projectile from the top of a hill, where does it land on the hill? I disagree with the professor in approach and final result. Problem Statement: Relevant Formulas: Attempt to Solve: I'm very familiar with these types of problems. I'm not here for help solving...
  38. dk123

    Proof that a projectile comes to rest in a finite distance

    equation of motion : while
  39. S

    Projectile motion of a moving target

    this is problem #57 from chapter 4 of "Physics for engineers and scientists vol1" ,it was solved in the book by a method the author calls "successive approximation, he first calculated the flight time of the projectile and then "corrected" for the ship's displacement. i know this is a perfectly...
  40. V

    Horizontal projectile motion lab

    This is how I think the set up of the lab should look like. I've decided the height to be y=1,5m. The length x is assumed to be 0.32m. where Voy =0m/s the time it takes for the marble to drop 1,5m is 0,55s the inital velocity of the marble is around 0,47m/s I Think I have the...
  41. ayderay

    Projectile Motion: Calculations for a successful basketball shot

  42. M

    Engineering Help with Dynamics Please -- Projectile fired downward into a fluid medium

  43. CraterHater

    Help with adding air resistance into my projectile trajectory function

    Hey, I am working on a video game in which there will be archers who have the ability to shoot at enemies. My game is two dimensional and I am trying to calculate the angle at which the archer, given an initial velocity, has to shoot in order to hit the target perfectly. I came up with the...
  44. D

    Projectile question — Cannonball fired over a hill

    Time of flight is t = 2v sinθ /g = v/g for θ = π/6 so time to top of flight is t = v/(2g) I then constructed a right-angle triangle with θ=π/6 and opposite side of 130m and used tangent to get the adjacent side , ie. distance from cannon to hill to be 225.17m The horizontal velocity is v cosθ...
  45. E

    Maximum Distance a Projectile Moves Up an Inclined Plane

    the red line is the initial velocity, the grey parabola is the path of the projectile. hi there...I'm kinda stuck at the part b of this problem. I can do part a with no problem. can anybody explain to me how to do the differentiation needed to solve part b?? by explain I mean explain the...
  46. jamiebean

    Why Does Projectile Motion Involve Zero X-Component Acceleration?

    I intended to finish the question with the equation of linear motion with constant acceleration, but it didn't work out. And I have no idea about the t^3 and t^4 of the position. How can I find the x component of the acceleration at time 3.4 s ? Where is the acceleration rate?
  47. T

    Projectile Motion — How far from the gun does the bullet land?

    I don't know how to link the x-component and y-component together.
  48. iamcgettigan

    How do you find the initial velocity of a projectile given angle/distance?

    I tried resolving the information given into vertical and horizontal components. I then tried to find time, as this is how I would find the initial velocity. However, I am unsure of how to use the angle in this problem to help solve it. I am also unsure of how to find the initial velocity only...
  49. S

    Projectile motion on an inclined plane

    a. I tried to "rotate" the inclined plane so the surface of the inclined plane becomes horizontal h = Vi sin θi . t - 1/2 g cos ∅ t2 and when it falls to the plane, y = 0 so: 0 = Vi sin θi . t - 1/2 g cos ∅ t2 t = (2 Vi sin θi) / (g cos ∅) Is this correct?b. Particle hits the plane vertically...
  50. K

    The Determination of the Launch Angle of a Projectile

    Hi, I am new here to the forum and I am having trouble with a project that I am undertaking with some friends. We are trying to build a firefighting robot. I am trying to derive an expression to solve for the launch angle theta of the water so that at x (meters), the projectile will be at 0.33...
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