Virtual Lab: Exploring Projectile Motion - Arapahoe High School

AHS Physics
Chapter 7
Name: __________________________________________
Date: _________________ Period: ______
Virtual Lab: Exploring Projectile Motion
Background Info:
In this physics class, you previously learned about the motion of object moving under the influence of
gravity alone. This type of motion is called free fall. Free fall motion, however, only refers to motion in one
dimension: vertical. When an object is launched with more than just a vertical component to its initial
velocity, and therefore moves through the air simultaneously in two dimensions, the object is called a
projectile. In this virtual lab experience, you will be exploring the motion of projectiles.
Objective:
Through participating in a virtual lab experience, you will attempt to determine the effects of several
different variables on the motion of projectiles. You will investigate the launch angle, initial velocity, launch
height, and size and shape of a projectile in order to explain how these variables affect the projectile’s time
of ‘flight’ and horizontal range of motion.
Preliminary Questions:
Before you begin this exploration, think, discuss with your group, and then explain how you predict each of
the following factors will affect the motion of a projectile.
1. For a projectile that is launched horizontally, what variables about the projectile do you think will
affect its time of ‘flight’?
2. For a projectile that is launched horizontally, what variables about the projectile do you think will
affect its horizontal range?
3. For a projectile that is launched at an angle, what variables about the projectile do you think will
affect its time of ‘flight’?
4. For a projectile that is launched at an angle, what variables about the projectile do you think will
affect its horizontal range?
Procedure, Data, and Analysis:
1. Go the the PhET simulations website (http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations), click on “Motion”,
and select the “Projectile Motion” simulation. Then click on “Run Now” to begin the simulation.
2. For your first exploration, set the launch angle to 0 o by typing in the angle box on the simulation.
Raise the cannon’s launch height by clicking on the axle of the cannon’s wheel and dragging it
upwards to some height of your choosing.

3. Set the initial speed of the projectile to 10m/s, again by typing in the appropriate box. Click on the
“Fire” button, and note the projectile’s motion. Note the numerical measurements at the top of
the screen. Record the height as “Launch Height 1” in the data table below, and then also record
the time and range measurements as well.
4. Without changing the launch height, change the initial speed to 14m/s, and fire the projectile.
Record the time and range measurements below. Then collect data again for new initial speeds of
18m/s and 22m/s.
5. Now click ‘Erase’ and change the launch height to some new height of your own choosing. Repeat
steps 4 and 5 from this new height. Be sure to record all data in the table.
Launch Height 1: ________m
Launch Height 2: ________m
Initial Speed
(m/s)
Time of ‘flight’
(s)
Horizontal
Range (m)
Initial Speed
(m/s)
Time of ‘flight’
(s)
Horizontal
Range (m)
10 m/s
10 m/s
14 m/s
14 m/s
18 m/s
18 m/s
22 m/s
22 m/s
6. Now that you have explored and collected data about horizontally‐launched projectiles, it is time to
use your data to make generalizations about projectile motion. For a given height, what seem to be
the effects of initial speed on the time of flight of a horizontally‐launched projectile?
For a given height, what seem to be the effects of initial speed on the horizontal range of a
horizontally‐launched projectile?
For a given launch speed, what seem to be the effects of height on the time of flight for a
horizontally‐launched projectile?
For a given launch speed, what seem to be the effects of height on the horizontal range of a
horizontally‐launched projectile?
7. Now click ‘Erase’ and set up your next exploration by moving the cannon back to ground level. Set
the initial speed to 14m/s, and the angle to 30 degrees. Fire the projectile and note the
measurements at the top of the screen. Record the horizontal range and time of ‘flight’ in the data
table.
8. Leaving the initial speed set at 14m/s, repeat the experiment and record results for all of the
additional angles listed in the data table.
Launch Angle (deg) 30 o 35 o 40 o 45 o 50 o 55 o 60 o
Horizontal Range (m)
Time of ‘Flight’ (s)

9. Now that you have explored and collected data about projectiles launched at different angles, it is
time to use your data to make generalizations about projectile motion. For a given launch speed,
what seem to be the effects of launch angle on the time of flight for a projectile?
For a given launch speed, what seem to be the effects of launch angle on the horizontal range of a
projectile? (Be as specific as possible with your answer.)
10. Now click ‘Erase’ and set up your next exploration by setting the angle to 80 degrees and the initial
speed to 14m/s. Fire the projectile and note the measurements at the top of the screen. Record
the horizontal range and time of ‘flight’ in the data table.
11. Leaving the launch angle set at 80 o , repeat the experiment and record results for all of the
additional initial speeds listed in the data table.
Initial Speed (m/s) 14m/s 16m/s 18m/s 20m/s 22m/s
Horizontal Range (m)
Time of ‘Flight’ (s)
12. Now that you have explored and collected data about projectiles launched at different angles, it is
time to use your data to make generalizations about projectile motion. For a given launch speed,
what seem to be the effects of launch angle on the time of flight for a projectile?
For a given launch speed, what seem to be the effects of launch angle on the horizontal range of a
projectile? (Be as specific as possible with your answer.)
13. Now click ‘Erase’ and set up your next exploration by setting the angle to 45 degrees and the initial
speed to 14m/s. Also select ‘tank shell’ from the drop‐down menu that allows you to choose
different objects to fire. Fire the tank shell and note the measurements at the top of the screen.
Record the horizontal range and time of ‘flight’ in the data table, as well as the object’s mass and
diameter.
14. Now change the object that you are firing. Leaving the launch angle and initial speed the same,
repeat the experiment with a variety of different objects of varying shapes and sizes. For each one,
record which object you were using, as well as the other requested data.
Type of Object
Mass of Object (kg)
Diameter of Object (m)
Horizontal Range (m)
Time of ‘Flight’ (s)
Tank Shell

15. Now that you have explored and collected data about projectiles of different shapes and sizes, it is
time to use your data to make generalizations about projectile motion. For a given set of launch
parameters, what seem to be the effects of the object’s shape and size on the time of flight for a
projectile?
For a given set of launch parameters, what seem to be the effects of the object’s shape and size on
the horizontal range of a projectile?
16. Now that you have explored many different variables to determine their effects on motion of
projectiles, it is time to summarize your findings.
For a horizontally‐launched projectile, state which variables do have an effect on the motion of the
projectile, and also explain the type of effect produced by each variable.
For a projectile launched at an angle, state which variables do have an effect on the motion of the
projectile, and also explain the type of effect produced by each variable.