Module 2—Motion in Two Dimensions

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Projectiles Launched at an Angle

In projectile motion an object is thrown at an angle from the ground or launched horizontally from the edge of something, such as a table or a cliff. In earlier lessons you learned how to describe the motion of objects that were either moving horizontally or vertically. In Lesson 3, which you just completed, you considered motion where the object was launched horizontally. In this lesson you will use kinematic equations to predict the motion of objects launched at an angle to the horizontal. For any projectile, the vertical motion is independent of the horizontal motion. In this case, the vertical component of motion is being affected by the acceleration due to gravity while the horizontal component is not. The result is that the object follows a parabolic path or trajectory. A parabolic path results because the projectile is falling due to the attraction of gravity and, at the same time, it is moving horizontally at a constant rate.

Watch and Listen—Analyzing the Motion of a Projectile

Work through the Projectile Motion animation to improve your understanding of projectile motion.

Note that when this animation loads, it is in French. Click the "English" button at the bottom of the screen and the animation will proceed in English. Click the right arrow at the bottom of the screen, and then click the grey button when it appears (e.g., Animation or Fire). Follow the directions as they appear. Use the forward and back arrows, as needed, to proceed through the animation as many times as you like.

Physics 20 © 2008 Alberta Education