Projectile Motion
Created by Craig Smiley (Harrison HS, West Lafayette, IN)
Supported by grant PHY-0851826
from the National Science Foundation
and by Purdue University
Horizontal Launch
Which one had a greater initial velocity just in
the vertical direction?
A. The dropped one
B. The thrown one
C. Both were equal to zero
D. Both were the same, but not zero
Horizontal Launch
Which ball is going faster just in the vertical
direction right before hitting, the ball that was
thrown horizontally or the ball that was
dropped? Ignore air resistance.
A. The one that was thrown
B. The one that was dropped
C. They have the same vertical speed
D. Impossible to tell with given info.
Horizontal Launch
If you threw a ball horizontally from a 3rd story
window and a friend dropped a ball from a
window above you, which ball would hit the
ground first?
A. The one that was thrown
B. The one that was dropped
C. They will hit at same time
D. It depends on what floor your friend is on
Horizontal Launch
A car drives horizontally off a cliff into the
ocean. What happens to the horizontal
velocity during its flight? Ignore air-resistance
A. It is the same as the speed it had when it first
went off the cliff
B. It is decreasing
C. It is increasing
D. There is no more horizontal velocity once it
leaves the cliff
Horizontal Launch
If a car drives straight off a cliff. During its flight,
starting right as it leaves the cliff, to right before
it plunges into the ocean, what values are true?
A. Its final vertical velocity (vfy) = 0
B. Its initial vertical velocity (viy) = 0
C. Its final horizontal velocity (vfx) = 0
D. None of these
E. Two of these (A-C)
Launch at Angle from Ground to
Ground
A cannon ball was shot up out of a
cannon at an angle. At the highest
point, what do you know is true?
A. The overall velocity = 0
B. It is moving the slowest, but NOT = 0
C. It is moving the same speed as it did coming
out of the cannon
D. Its thinking “oh, this is going to hurt ”
Thrown at Angle
If you threw a ball up at an angle off of a
building and dropped one at the same time
from the same height, which one would hit the
ground first? Ignore air resistance.
A. The one that was thrown
B. The one that was dropped
C. They will hit at same time
D. Impossible to tell with given info.
Horizontal Launch
Which is going faster overall during the flight (or
right before they hit), the ball that was thrown
horizontally or the ball that was dropped?
Ignore air-resistance.
A. The one that was thrown
B. The one that was dropped
C. They are going the same speed
D. Impossible to tell with given info.
Horizontal Launch
If you shot a bullet out of a gun horizontally and
dropped a bullet at the same time from the
same height as the barrel of the gun, which
bullet would hit the ground first? Ignore air
resistance and the curvature of the Earth.
A. The one that was shot
B. The one that was dropped
C. They will hit at the same time
D. Depends on how fast the bullet is going
Horizontal Launch
A bullet is fired horizontally from a rifle. (Ignore air
resistance) The initial speed of the bullet when it
leaves the gun barrel is vo. Which of the following
three statements is false:
A. During its entire flight, the minimum speed of
the bullet is vo.
B. The acceleration of the bullet is constant during
its flight.
C. The time it takes for the bullet to hit the ground
increases as vo is increased.
D. All of the above statements are true!
Launch at Angle from Ground to Ground
An arrow is shot out of a bow at 40m/s at an
angle of 60°. What is its overall speed at the
highest point?
A. 40 m/s
B. 34.6 m/s
C. 20 m/s
D. 10 m/s
E. 0 m/s
Launch at Angle from Ground to Ground
A golf ball is struck so that is it initially going
70m/s at 30°. What is its final vertical velocity if
it lands at the same height it was struck from?
Ignore air resistance
A. -70 m/s
B. -60.6 m/s
C. -35 m/s
D. -10 m/s
E. 0 m/s
Launch at Angle from Ground to Ground
A soccer ball is kicked so that it leaves the ground
going 30m/s at 30°. What is its overall speed when
it’s hitting the ground at the same height?
A. 30 m/s
B. 26 m/s
C. 15 m/s
D. 10 m/s
E. 0 m/s
Range
An arrow is shot into the air at an angle of 50° and
lands on a target that is at the same level at which
the arrow was shot. Another arrow will also hit the
target if it is shot with the same speed at which
angle?
A. 40°
B. 45°
C. 55°
D. 60°
E. None of these
Complimentary Angles
Two guns are fired from ground level at equal
speeds but different angles. One is fired at an
angle of 30° and the other at 60°. Which bullet
will hit the ground first?
A. The one shot at 30°
B. The one shot at 60°
C. Both will hit at the same time
D. It is impossible to tell with given info
Launched Vertically
Ball 1 is launched at 10m/s straight up, and Ball 2
is launched at 20m/s also straight up. If both are
launched at the same time, from the same
height, and both land at the same height at which
they were launched, how do their max heights
compare? AND how do their times in the air
compare?
Max Height
Time in Air
A.
1=2
1=2
B.
1<2
1=2
C.
1<2
1<2
D.
1=2
1<2
E. Can’t be determined
Windy Day
You are playing goalie for your soccer team on a
windy day. You want the to drop-kick the ball as
far as you can, but the wind is blowing against
the way you want to kick. What angle should
you kick the ball in order to create the greatest
range?
A. More than 45°
B. 45°
C. Less than 45°