Activity Overview
In this activity, students explore the motion of a projectile parametrically by adjusting the projectile's initial height, initially velocity, and angle to the horizontal.
Before the Activity
See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
Print pages 67 - 71 from the attached PDF file for your class
During the Activity
Distribute the pages to the class.
Follow the Activity procedures:
Define the parametric equations for the two dimensional motion of a projectile as
x1(t) = vo * cos(θ) * t and
y1(t) = yo + vo * sin(θ) * t - 0.5 * 9.8 * t2
Define the starting position xo = 0, yo = 0, the initial velocity vo= 40 and θ = 60
Use the animation program to animate the path taken by a ball and plot a graph of the path
Find the values of the parameters of x, y, and t at maximum height from the graph and record them
Find the values of the parameters of x, y, and t, at the point when the ball hits the ground from the graph and record them
Change initial velocity to 30 and 50 and observe the effect on the parametric graph
Note as the initial velocity increases, the ball travels higher and further horizontally
Change the angle to 30 and 70 degrees, vo back to 40 and describe the effect on the graph
Observe that greater the value of θ, the higher the ball rises
Change yo to 10 and 35 degrees, θ back to 60 and describe the effect on the graph
Note that as the value of yo increases the graph of the object shifts up
After the Activity
Students complete the Student Activity sheet.
Review student results:
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary