Projectile Motion

Explore Projectile Motion

Use the following questions to guide your exploration.

Vocabulary: Range is the horizontal distance travelled. Altitude is the maximum height reached.

1. For any given initial speed, what angle gives the maximum range?
2. For any given speed, what angle gives the maximum altitude?
3. Launch the projectile at a 30° angle and note where it lands. What other angle (with the same initial speed) gives the same range?
4. Launch the projectile at a 20° angle and note where it lands. What other angle (with the same initial speed) gives the same range?
5. Make a general statement about pairs of launch angles that give the same range.
6. Some pairs of angles result in the same range but what is different about their flights?
7. What happens to the vertical component of the projectile's velocity during the flight? Can you explain why? (It might help to check the "Show velocity vectors" box for this.)
8. What happens to the horizontal component of the projectile's velocity during the flight? Can you explain why?
9. How does doubling the initial speed of the projectile affect its range?
10. How does doubling the initial speed of the projectile affect its maximum altitude?