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. W

    How much ice melts when a projectile is fired at it?

    Homework Statement Newt needs to melt some ice, so he fires a test projectile (0.025 kg) at 30.0 degrees C at a speed of 240 m/s into a large block of ice at 0 degrees C, in which it becomes embedded (comes to rest). Approximately what mass of ice melts? (i.e. ignore the heat lost by the...
  2. J

    Projectile Motion - Acceleration and Angles

    Finding the total distance a jaguar has jumped from a 30° angle at 3.33m/s. I've split the jump into horiz./vert. components: Vertical: v sin(θ) = 3.33sin(30) = 1.67 ms-1 Horizontal: v cos(θ) = 3.33cos(30) = 2.88 ms-1 I am just unsure as to how to find the time taken to reach maximum height...
  3. S

    Finding initial velocity of a projectile. Help with force and acceleration

    Hello everyone, I was doing some experiment using a spring compressed gun, that shoots up ball beraings. I made it using a desoldering pump and a PVC pipe,its quite small. ok, so I set it in 45° angles for maximum range. A desoldering pump has a spring inside, when you push down on top the...
  4. sankalpmittal

    Objective questions regarding projectile motion - 2 dimension .

    Objective questions regarding "projectile motion - 2 dimension". Homework Statement There are 2 mini problems : 1. If t1 and t2 be the times of flight from A to B and "θ" be the angle of inclination of AB to the horizontal , then t12 + 2t1t2sinθ + t22 is (A.) independent of θ (B.)...
  5. C

    Projectile angles and speed (x and Y) near impact

    Thought I was done but not the case... Homework Statement Alright so as stated a couple days ago... "projectile is shot from the edge of a cliff 125 m above the ground @ an initial speed of 65 m/s at an angle of 37° with the horizontal from the cliff." ---- As helped earlier I have...
  6. E

    Projectile Motion problem (is my textbook wrong?)

    Homework Statement "A slingshot fires a stone horizontally from a tower 32 metres high, and it lands 135 metres from the foot of the tower. What was the speed at which it left the slingshot?" Verticle Height = 32m Horizontal Distance = 135m The Attempt at a Solution I first calculated...
  7. B

    Projectile Motion Problems: Solving for Magnitude and Direction | Homework Help

    Homework Statement Problem Number 1: a ball thrown into the air from the ground reaches a maximum height of 50meters and 200meters horizontally. Find the magnitude and direction. Problem Number 2: a movie stunt drive on a motorcycle speeds horizontally of a 50meter high cliff. How fast must...
  8. D

    Projectile Motion, Find initial velocity knowing x & y dist and time.

    Homework Statement A football player punts the football so that it will have a time of flight = 4.5s and land 45.7m away. The ball leaves the player's foot 1.52 m above ground. What is initial velocity? (Magnitude and direction) Homework Equations x-x_0 = v_0 * cosθ * t y-y_0 =...
  9. C

    Problem with finding time from projectile motion problem

    Homework Statement A projectile is fired from a cliff 125m off the ground at 37° from the horizontal at 65 m/s. How long will it take to hit the ground? Homework Equations y= yo+(Vyo)(t) - 1/2(g)(t^2) quadratic formula The Attempt at a Solution substituting in equation...
  10. S

    Angular speed of rod after projectile collides into it

    [SOVLED] Angular speed of rod after projectile collides into it Homework Statement Homework Equations L = r x p Iparallel = ICM + md2 The Attempt at a Solution L = r x p = mvir = mvid/2 mvi(d/2) = (Iparallel + md2)ω mvi(d/2) = (1/12M(d/2)^2 + m(d/2)^2)ω Plugging and solving...
  11. Q

    Derivation of area of trajectory of projectile

    Homework Statement This is a problem about an aircraft flying above a cannon which is capable of firing in any direction. The plane's height, velocity and the speed of the projectile fired by the cannon are given (I am not trying to get help in solving the problem, so the numbers are not...
  12. J

    Projectile Motion: Initial Speed and Maximum Height Calculations

    A vertically moving object projectile reaches a maximum height of 50 meters above its starting position What is the projectiles initial speed? What is the height above the starting point at 3.3 seconds?
  13. 1

    How Does Drag Affect Projectile Motion in Simulations?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EU-raX_40Q&feature=relmfu This link demonstrates the modelling of projectile motion with drag. I was just wondering if anyone can help me find the downloadable link he mentions at 5:23
  14. M

    Quick Question in projectile motion (H-J)

    In Hamilton Jacobi Equation (Projectile in two dimentions [x,y]), Isn't it correct that x is a cyclical coordinate?
  15. 1

    Projectile motion with air friction

    I'm trying to understand the motion of projectile motion under the influence of air resistance. A website such as this details the necessary equations available to approximate this model: http://claymore.engineer.gvsu.edu/~michels/index_files/Golf%20Ball%20Paper%20Final%20draft.pdf However, i...
  16. O

    Projectile Motion So many Unknowns

    Homework Statement Need Help I have been trying to solve this problem for a while now. I know the quadratic formula has to be used in order to solve this problem but I am having trouble getting started. Question A soccer ball is kicked from the ground level at an angle, such that the wall is...
  17. R

    Master Projectile Motion Problems with Expert Tips and Solutions

    Can someone tell me how to do this problem? I know 16. is A, 17 is E? 3rd pick is of what i have done not even sure if right.
  18. M

    Projectile motion question ( basketball being thrown into a hoop)

    Homework Statement A basketball shoots a ball at an angle of 55° which is 4.3m away( horizontal dist). If the ball is released from a height of 2.1m and lands in the hoop, which is 3m high. Calculate the initial speed of the ball for this shot to be successful. Homework Equations initial...
  19. sankalpmittal

    Projectile Equation - Parabola

    Here's a equation of a projectile thrown in a parabolic path : y=xtanθ - gx2/2u2cos2θ where x is the corresponding x - coordinate or the range of a projectile at a point , y is the corresponding y - coordinate or the height of projectile at point, θ is the angle made with the horizontal...
  20. F

    Sphere in a horizontal plane + Projectile movement

    Hello guys, how are you? Homework Statement An uniform solid sphere, that has 20mm of diameter and 8.4g of mass, its release at a inclined plane with 22cm of lenght. The inclined plane 'ends' in a table in which the ball starts to move horizontally. After leaving the table, that has 92cm of...
  21. P

    Projectile motion - where will the ball land

    Homework Statement A boy standing on the top of a building 40m high throws a ball directly aiming to his friend standing on the ground 30m away from the base of the building. If the projection velocity is 20m/s. Find how short will the ball fall from his friend. Homework Equations...
  22. B

    Projectile Motion - baseball popup

    Projectile Motion -- baseball popup Homework Statement A baseball is popped up, remaining aloft for 6.3 s before being caught at a horizontal distance of 83 m from the starting point. What was the launch angle? Homework Equations vx = vcostheta vy = vcostheta The Attempt at a...
  23. P

    Projectile Motion: Ball A vs. Ball B - Which Reaches Ground First?

    A ball A is released from rest at a height of h and another ball B is provided with a horizontal force at the same height h. Both the balls fall to the ground. Which ball will reach the ground first? Doesn't ball A reach the ground first because the ball B is applied with a horizontal force...
  24. B

    Projectile Motion in Combination with Energy Problem

    Homework Statement A toy rifle shoots a spring of mass 0.008kg and with a spring constant of 350 N/m. You wish to hit a target horizontally a distance of 15m away by pointing the rifle 45o above the horizontal. How far should you extend the spring in order to reach the target? Homework...
  25. T

    Understanding Projectile Motion and Forces in Wind Currents

    Hey everyone, i am wondering about projectile motion and wind currents. e.g. let's say that i throw a paper airplane from either: 1 - an angle e.g. 30 or 70 degrees elevation/de-elevation 2 - no angle and the airplane flies through the air until it hits the ground. What...
  26. T

    Mastering Projectile Motion: Tips and Examples for Solving Problems

  27. L

    Projectile Motion Experiment: Proving a Pellet Can Hit a Doll at High Speed

    1. A soccer player kicks a ball at an angle of 50° above the horizontal. The player is 10.0 m from the base of a rectangular building that is 5.0 m high (with a flat roof). The roof is 10.0 m wide. The ball is kicked with an initial speed of 15.0 m/s. a.Show that the ball will clear the front...
  28. L

    Need help with Projectile Motion Questions

    I need some help explaining these concepts 1. Suppose a tank is able to point its barrel up at an angle of 90o. If the tank is in motion and fires a shell straight up, where will the shell land if the tank maintains a constant motion. (don't consider any air resistance) a) in front of the...
  29. S

    Projectile Motion without the Angle

    Homework Statement Hi guys, I'm trying to start from scratch on figuring out the projectile motion problem. But I think I've hit a roadblock. I am trying to solve a problem where I gave myself initial velocity and how far the object travels, but I can't seem to find a way to solve this without...
  30. H

    Trebuchet: Projectile Arm Length to Counterweight Arm Length Ratio

    I am working on creating a mid size trebuchet with a projectile arm length of 3 feet. The counterweight is about 3500 grams, with the projectile being 60 grams. I know that the ratio of the projectile arm length to the counterweight arm length changes depending on several factors, most...
  31. S

    Projectile motion, problem with only general equations

    I have no idea from where to start and what to do. Someone to help me? Thanks
  32. C

    Projectile Motion Question - Can someone verify that the question is correct?

    Hi guys, Doing a projectile motion question, I think I know how to do it but I can't get the answer it wants me to. Anyways: A tall building stands on level ground.The nozzle of a water sprinkler is positioned at a point P on the ground at a distance d from a wall of the building. Water...
  33. J

    Simple Projectile Motion Help: Finding the Height of a Table

    Hey guys, I'm not great at physics and my brain sometimes just doesn't get the sort of "implied" aspects of a problem. So I could use some help with an easy question. In projectile motion, there are certain constants given particular circumstances, right? I have to find the height of a...
  34. X

    Calculating Potential Energy of a Bow + Projectile calculations

    Homework Statement I have a physics lad research that's due tomorrow, the overall process is to work out how much potential energy will be stored in a bow, and the efficiency of the bow. First of all, I have a graph, with the plots Force Vs. Displacement (of a weight 'm' on a string). We...
  35. D

    Projectile motion with air resistance

    Hey guys, I am in the process of writing a program for pmotion with air resistance that is proportional to the velocity squared and I've hit a stump. In my program it simulates the path of the ball by changing the time and putting it into the equation and plotting it on a graph. My problem is...
  36. C

    Factoring known drag into finding height of projectile

    Alright, I am trying to work out some equations on a project to determine if fictional instances of physics are possible or not. In my case, I am seeing how a person travels if they are thrown from a jet that is traveling vertically (don't ask). I have completed the equations to solve how far...
  37. S

    Projectile motion over angled edge

    I am having difficulties with this question as no height for the crater is given please help! :) Homework Statement AN astronaut is speeding over a level stretch of the Moon's surface at 12m/s in her small lunar rover. She drives over the edge of a crater, whose surface slopes downwards at an...
  38. N

    Projectile motion equations using Euclidean Geometry only

    Here is a spreadsheet I made to solve projectile motion problems. It uses only euclidean geometry to solve for the answers, but it gives the answers as slopes, not angles. All variables entered also must be in slopes and not angles. I added a section that does the conversion between the two...
  39. S

    Maximum height reached by a projectile

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33103477/gravity.png I have worked out the first two bits. (So you can assume that I have that) But I can't figure out how to work out the maximum height reached. I know there I can equal the KE and the PE to work out max height, but that doesn't look like it'll...
  40. B

    Projectile Motion is Symmetric

    Okay, I read that in the case of no air-resistance, projectile motion is symmetric; that the initial velocity will equal the final velocity, in magnitude; and that a projectile traveling upwards, achieving a zero velocity of the vertical component, will have to fall the same horizontal distance...
  41. I

    Horizontal/Vertical projectile question

    In the mark scheme they have done s/u = t, and then used this t value (along with the vertical component of velocity and g) to calculate the vertical displacement s.. I am confused why they used the same t value to progress with? This t value represents the time taken to travel the 0.4 m...
  42. C

    Projectile Motion of Basketball Shot to Ring

    Homework Statement A basketball is thrown from a height of 2.8m above the ground and goes through a basketball ring that is 3.3m above the ground. If the release velocity was 5.5 m/s at an angle of 54 degrees upwards from the horizontal, calculate the horizontal displacement the ball will...
  43. J

    Calculating Initial Velocity for Projectile Launch from Point A to B

    Homework Statement I need to calculate the initial velocity required to launch a projectile at a given angle from point A to point B. The only force acting on the projectile after launch will be gravity – zero air resistance. The projectile is launched within a simulated, virtual environment...
  44. M

    Projectile Motion: Dropping a Package

    Hi all! I just wanted to confirm whether or not the working I did for this question is wrong or right. Here is the question: An airplane is dropping an ad package in a remote area. The plane is moving horizontally at speed Vo and the package lands a horizontal distance L from where it was...
  45. A

    Projectile Motion Help: Launch Velocity and Distance Calculation

    Homework Statement a ball is launched vertically from a spring loaded pipe at ground level, and it lands in 4.7 seconds. We need to figure out the launch velocity and how far the ball will land if fired at 45 deg angle. Homework Equations I am using the following formulas, not sure if they...
  46. H

    Projectile and Resistance Force

    Homework Statement Consider a 10 kg projectile launched with an initial speed of 100 m/s at an angle of 35 degrees elevation. The Resistance force is R=-bv where b=10 kg/s. A) Use a numerical method to determine the horizontal and vertical positions of the projectile as a function of time...
  47. Q

    Why Does a Ball Thrown Upwards Return at the Same Speed?

    My high school physics textbook says that the speed at which a ball leaves your hand (when thrown upwards) is the same as the speed at which you catch it (if you don't move your hand). That means that the time for the ball's upwards movement is the same as for its downwards movement. Why is this?
  48. R

    Backwards Design for Roller Coaster: Projectile Motion

    For my grade 12 physics class, we need to build a roller coaster. We are given a marble weighing 5 grams and it must be projected at the end of the track. It needs to land 0.5 m at a target when it is projected. Since the coaster is made entirely by myself the ramp in which it will be projected...
  49. S

    Projectile Motion with displacement and time

    Homework Statement A boy kicks a ball into the air. It takes 4.3 seconds to land 41.1 meters from his position to the right. What is the launch velocity and launch angle of the ball? Ignore air resistance. Δx = 41.1 m t = 4.3 s a = -9.8 m/s2Homework Equations dx = vxt vfy = v0y + at The...
  50. F

    Projectile motion - ball in circular motion

    Homework Statement Okey, so the problem started with a ball in circular motion on a table (xy-plane, seen from above). Eventually the rope that held the ball snapped and the ball continued on (no friction/air resistance) with constant velocity in x-direction. Gravity working in negative...
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