Projection Motion Simulator Worksheet
Name______________________________
Go to the projectile motion simulator at http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/projectilemotion/projectile-motion.swf or google PHET and select the Projectile Motion simulation.
1. Starting with the pumpkin as your projectile, gather data and answer the following questions.
a. With an initial speed of 18m/s and no air resistance, what angle must the cannon be
at to hit the bull’s eye?
b. Clear your results from part a. Now add air resistance and answer the same
question.
c. Clear your results from part b and remove the air resistance. Collect data to figure
out how the angle must be changed to hit the bull’s eye as the initial speed increases.
Initial speed
Angle
14m/s
18m/s
75
22m/s
26m/s
Conclusion: As the speed increases the angle _______________.
2. Now, using different projectiles, collect data to figure out how the angle must be changed as
the mass of the projectile changes. Use 18m/s as your speed.
Projectile
Mass
Angle
Football
Bowling ball
Adult human
Piano
Buick
Conclusion: As the mass of the object increases, the angle
__________________________ as long as the speed is constant.
3. Now, repeat the experiment in #2, only keep the angle constant at 65, and determine what
happens to the initial speed needed to hit the bull’s eye as the mass of the projectile changes.
Projectile
Mass
Initial speed
Football
Bowling ball
Adult human
Piano
Buick
Conclusion: As the mass of the object increases, the initial speed
__________________________ as long as the angle is constant.
4. Repeat the experiment in #3, except set the speed based on your results in #3, add
air resistance and record the drag coefficient and whether the object hits the bull’s eye or
not.
Projectile
Initial speed
Drag coefficient
Hit bull’s eye?
(from #3)
Football
Bowling ball
Adult human
Piano
Buick
Conclusion: How does the air resistance relate to whether the object
could still hit the bull’s eye or not?
5. Next keeping the height the same and setting the angle to 0 degrees vary the initial speed
and fire the cannon several times recording the data for each firing in your data table. While
you are gathering your data look for relationships between the following:
 initial speed of the projectile and the range of the projectile
 initial speed of the projectile and the time of the projectile in the air?
 initial speed of the projectile and the height the projectile moved downwards?
Projectile
Initial speed
Time
Range
Height
Football
Football Trial 2
6. Working with your partner develop and write down several general rules that you can use
for projectile motion. An example of a general rule might be:
EXAMPLE: Whenever you increase the initial velocity of a projectile that is
launched horizontally, the time the projectile is in the air will always __________.
Rule 1:
Rule 2:
Rule 3:
Deep Thought Questions:
1.
The moon has a mass, therefore it has gravity, but it only about 1/6th that of earth’s
gravity. What the moon lacks is air. When the Apollo 15 astronauts dropped both a
hammer and a feather at the same time they both hit the ground at the same time. Why
do you think this happened? You must support your answer by citing specific
relationships you observed in the experiment above.
2.
If you were to throw a ball horizontally and at the same time drop an exact copy of the
ball you threw, which ball would hit the ground first and why is this so? You must
support your answer by citing specific relationships you observed in the experiment
above.