Projectile Motion Simulator

Theoretical Background

• Projectile motion is a type of motion experienced by an object that is projected near the Earth’s surface and moves along a curved path under the action of the force of gravity only if the effects of air resistance are assumed to be neglected. 
• This curved path was shown by Galileo to be a parabola. The study of such types of motion is called ballistics, and this type of trajectory is a ballistic trajectory in two-dimensional projectile motion. 

Principle Work of Projectile Motion Simulator

• We must know that motions along perpendicular axes are independent and thus can be analyzed separately. 
• The key to analyzing two-dimensional projectile motion is to break it into two motions, one along the horizontal axis and the other along the vertical. 
• According to Newton’s first law of motion, there will be no acceleration in the horizontal direction. Ignoring the air friction, the only force acting on the ball during flight is the force of gravity. 
• The vertical motion of the ball is also not complicated. It will accelerate downward under the force of gravity and hence a = g = 9.8 m/s2 in the projectile motion simulator. 
• The analysis performed in this experiment can also be explored using a simulation for projectile motion, a 3d projectile motion simulator, or a virtual projectile motion lab to compare the calculated results with simulated projectile trajectories in the projectile motion simulator.