Projectile motion
Free Fall
Question sheet
Simulationhttps://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/projectilemotion/latest/projectile-motion_en.html
11-14-2020
Objectives:
- Learn the nature of free fall motion by observing the position versus time.
- Determine the acceleration of gravity (g).
- Understand how free fall actually works in the real life.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1- Open the following link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/projectile-motion/latest/projectilemotion_en.html
2- From the home page of this link, click on lab, from lab window use the
provided controllers to adjust the height (y) and the velocity of the lunched
ball, the mass, the objects shape.
3- Adjust the first height at 16m and the velocity must be at zero.
4- Release the ball and use the time meter (control the time meter and fix it at
the final point of the ball) to measure the time needed for the ball to travel
16m in vertical direction.
5- Record your data in table 1.
6- Change the height (y) to 15m, release the ball and measure the time needed
to travel 15m in the vertical direction.
7- Record the new values in table 1.
8- Repeat step 3 to fill table 1.
9- Use Excel software to plot the relationship between ½ t2 and y.
10Calculate using ½ t2.
y(m)
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
From the table:
Find the slope.
Find the gexp.
Calculate the percentage error of g.
t(s)

1
t
2
2
s 2
Questions
Define the term “free fall”.
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Convert the value of g from m/s2 to cm/s2
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What is the relation between t and y from the t-y graph?
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Does the time of flight depend on the initial speed (v)?
……………………………………………………………………………….
Describe the horizontal component of the velocity (Vx) during its
motion, in one word.
………………………………………………………………………………..
What is the relationship between the angle of the projectile and its
range?
………………………………………………………………………………..
Is the time of flight directly proportional to the speed? Explain.
……………………………………………………………………………….