Projectile Motion Lab
For this lab, you will be expected to individually submit a formal lab report. The report
should include an abstract, an introduction with purpose statement, the procedure (point
form is fine), the results, analysis, discussion questions, and conclusion. This lab takes
time to complete, please do NOT leave the write-up until the night before.
DUE DATE FOR REPORT:
Please email to Submissions Folder!
Purpose: To determine the relationship between range of a projectile and
a) launch speed
b) launch height
c) launch angle
Introduction: Write a paragraph validating your experiment / reason why it is useful,
provide background, define terms/variables, state purpose, etc.
Procedure:
1. On your computers, open
http://phet.colorado.edu/admin/gen-flashpage.php?flash=http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/projectile-motion/projectilemotion.swf&title=Projectile%20Motion
2. In Excel, create a table in which you can record your results.
3. For all the experiments, please ensure that air resistance is turned off!
4. Keeping the launch height constant and a constant launch angle (0º will simplify
your life later), launch an object with at least 6 different initial speeds. Record the
range corresponding to each speed. In Excel at the top of your table, specify the
values of your control variables.
5. Repeat step 4 for different launch heights and for different launch angles.
Analysis
6. In Excel, create graphs for each data set.
7. By visual inspection, determine the type of relationship that is plotted in each
scenario.
8. Using Graphical Analysis techniques (as we discussed in class), determine the
relationship between range and speed and range and height. THIS IS TRICKY –
PLEASE GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO SEEK EXTRA HELP IF NEEDED!
Discussion
9. Derive the relationships between range and each of the variables above using the
formulas for projectile motion. Do this in an appendix. Use the numbers that you
have for your control variables and compare the final proportionality statement
obtained in step 8 with your theoretical answer. Discuss briefly.
Conclusion
Write a brief summary to answer the purpose statement.
Once you are all done, now is the time to write the Abstract – a summary of your
entire lab, in less than one page.
Enrichments (1 application each):
1. Find the proportionality statement for range and angle
using graphical analysis and compare to your derived
expression.
2. Derive an expression for range using only variables, so that
range can be calculated for any combination of starting
conditions.
Final Report Format:
Title Page (separate page)
Abstract (separate page - i)
Table of Contents (not needed in this lab, but this is where it would go – page ii)
Table of Figures (also not needed here – page iii)
Introduction, Procedure and so on - starting on page 1.