Projectile Motion
Projectile Fired at an Angle - Problems
Practice Problems: Horizontal & Vertical Components at an Angle
Projectile Fired at an Angle — word problems combining horizontal and vertical motion
Which velocity, Vx or Vy, is constant
for a projectile?
Sample Projectile
Vix = 25 m/s | Viy = 40 m/s
| t (sec) | Vx (m/s) | Vy (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 25 | 40 |
| 1 | 25 | 30 |
| 2 | 25 | 20 |
| 3 | 25 | 10 |
| 4 | 25 | 0 (peak) |
| 5 | 25 | -10 |
| 6 | 25 | -20 |
| 7 | 25 | -30 |
| 8 | 25 | -40 |
Word Problems
Example — Running Long Jump
An athlete doing a running jump leaves the ground at an angle of 25.° and a velocity of 10. m/s.
Part (a)
Given
Angle = 25.°, Velocity = 10. m/s
Find: (a) the initial vertical component (Viy) of the athlete's velocity.
↓
Part (b)
Given
Viy = 4.2 m/s (from part a)
Find: (b) how long does it take for the athlete to reach her maximum height?
↓
| X | Y |
|---|---|
| t = ? | Viy = 4.2 m/s (from before) |
| t = ? | |
| Vfy = 0 (peak) | |
| ay = -9.8 m/s2 |
Part (c) — Total Time
Given
Peak time = .43 sec, on level ground
Find: (c) how long did it take for the athlete to complete the entire jump?
↓
On level ground: Total time = double peak time
Part (c) — Distance
Given
dx = ?, t = .86 sec
Find: (c) how far did she jump?
↓
