http://www.ck12.org Chapter 3. Two-Dimensional and Projectile Motion
3.3 Projectile Motion
- Explain the parabolic motion of a thrown object.
The aim here is to understand and explain the parabolic motion of a thrown object, known as projectile motion.
Motion in one direction is unrelated to motion in other perpendicular directions. Once the object has been thrown,
the only acceleration is in they(up/down) direction due to gravity. Thex(right/left) direction velocity remains
unchanged.
Guidance- In projectile motion, the horizontal displacement of an object from its starting point is called itsrange.
- Vertical (y) speed is zero only at the highest point of a thrown object’s flight.
- Since in the absence of air resistance there is no acceleration in the horizontal direction, this component of
velocity does not change over time. This is a counter-intuitive notion for many. (Air resistance will cause
velocity to decrease slightly or significantly depending on the object. But this factor is ignored for the time
being.) - Motion in the vertical direction must include the acceleration due to gravity, and therefore the velocity in the
vertical direction changes over time. - The shape of the path of an object undergoing projectile motion in two dimensions is a parabola.
Watch this Explanation
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URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/378