Sunday, November 7, 2010

Projectile Motion

The key to solving two-dimensional problems is to break them up into two one-dimensional parts, then recombine them to produce a final answer. You will have a set of givens in the x-direction and another set in the y-direction.

Projecto shot horizontally:


ax =0                                          ay =  - 9.8 m/s2
vx = constant                              vy changing
Δdx = range                                Δdx = height


Use the formulas:

Δdx= vx Δt                                  Δdy= vy Δt + ½ ay Δt2

If you can find the Δt in x direction, then transfer it in the y direction and find the height.

If you can’t find Δt in the x-direction calculate it in the y-drection, and then transfer it to y-direction to find the range.