Physics Laboratory Report(102A)

Lab number and Title:

Lab 111: Projectile Motion

Name: XXX XXXX

Date of Experiment: 2/9/2024 Date of Report Submission: 2/15/2024

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 OBJECTIVES
1. To study projectile motion and apply linear motion equations
2. To predict where a target of given size should be placed to be hit by a projectile leaving in a horizontal
direction.
3. To measure the range of a projectile leaving the table at a measured angle and use this value to predict
where the projectile will land.
1.2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Any object that continues in motion by its own inertia and is influenced only by the downward force of gravity
(and air resistance)

The motion of a projectile is a 2-dimensional motion. In the x-direction, acceleration ax = 0 (velocity vx is

constant) and in the y-direction ay = g directed downwards. There are two separate equations for motion: one
in the x direction and one in the y direction.
1 2
1. 𝑦 = 2
𝑔𝑡
2. 𝑥 = 𝑣0𝑡

If the coordinate axes are picked so the origin is at the initial location of the projectile and the +y direction
points upward, the following expressions hold for the projectile with an angle relative to horizontal:
3. 𝑣𝑥 = 𝑣0𝑐𝑜𝑠(θ)
4. 𝑣𝑦 = 𝑣0𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ) − 𝑔𝑡
5. 𝑥 = 𝑣0𝑥𝑡 = (𝑣0𝑐𝑜𝑠(θ))𝑡
2 2
6. 𝑦 = 𝑣0𝑦𝑡 − 0. 5𝑔𝑡 = (𝑣0𝑐𝑜𝑠(θ))𝑡 − 0. 5𝑔𝑡

Equation 3 calculates the horizontal velocity of a projectile launched using initial velocity and the angle.
Equation 4 calculates the vertical velocity of a projectile launched using initial velocity and the angle.
Equation 5 calculates the horizontal displacement of a projectile using time.
Equation 6 calculates the vertical displacement of a projectile using time.

2 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Experiment Set-up:
Procedures:
The steel ball was our projectile for this lab.
Part I:
We attached the mini-launcher to the table using the steel rod and right-angle clamp. We then leveled the
launcher and found its launching point using the plumb bob. After, we launched the steel ball to see where the
carbon paper and white paper would need to be placed so the ball would hit it. Once we found the right
distance away from the launching point, we began running the tests.
Part 1.2:
We lowered the mini-launcher and using the data we collected from Part I, we calculated the position of the
target hole and placed it accordingly, making adjustments as needed.
Part II:
We lowered the mini-launcher and angled it to 50°. We then placed a lab jack on the table and raised it to
match the height of the mini-launcher. After, we launched the steel ball to see how far the lab jack would need
to be placed away from the mini-launcher.
Once we had finished our calculations, we got rid of the lab jack and launched the ball, keeping the previous
angle.

3 RESULTS
3.1 EXPERIMENTAL DATA

Part I: Distance Table

Trial Number 1 2 3 4 5 Average

x 106 cm 106.5 cm 104.5 cm 106 cm 103.5 cm 105.3 cm

y = 0.45 m
v0 = 3.4 m/s

Part II: Angled Distance Table with Lab Jack

θ = 50°
Trial Number 1 2 3 4 5 Average

R 130 cm 129.8 cm 131.25 cm 130.8 cm 133 cm 130.97 cm

v0 = 3.61 m/s

Part II: Angled Distance Table without Lab Jack

θ = 50°
Trial Number 1 2 3 4 5 Average

x 150 cm 151 cm 148 cm 149 cm 150 cm 149.6 cm

 3.2 CALCULATION
Part I Calculations:
𝑥 = 𝑥𝑎𝑣𝑔
106+106.5+104.5 +106 +103.5
𝑥𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 5

Average Distance: 𝑥𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 105. 3 𝑐𝑚

2
𝑔𝑡
𝑦= 2
2𝑦
𝑡= 𝑔
2·45
𝑡= 9.8
Time: 𝑡 = 3. 03𝑠
𝑥
𝑣0 = 𝑡
105.3
𝑣0 = 3.03

Velocity: 𝑣0 = 34. 7𝑐𝑚/𝑠 OR 3. 47𝑚/𝑠

Part 1.2 Calculations:
2
𝑔𝑡
𝑦= 2
2𝐻
𝑡= 𝑔
2·0.22
𝑡= 9.8
Time: 𝑡 = 2. 12𝑠
𝐷=𝑣·𝑡
𝐷 = 34. 7 · 2. 12
Theoretical Distance: 𝐷 = 7. 36𝑚 OR 73. 6𝑐𝑚
Part II w/ Lab Jack Calculations:
𝑅 = 𝑅𝑎𝑣𝑔
130 + 129.8 + 131.25 + 130.8 + 133
𝑅𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 5

Range: 𝑅𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 130. 97 𝑐𝑚 OR 1. 31 𝑚

2 𝑅·𝑔
𝑉0 = 2·𝑐𝑜𝑠(θ)·𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ)

𝑅·𝑔
𝑉0 = 2·𝑐𝑜𝑠(θ)·𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ)

1.31·9.8
𝑉0 = 2·𝑐𝑜𝑠(50)·𝑠𝑖𝑛(50)

Launching Velocity: 𝑉0 = 3. 61𝑚/𝑠 OR 36. 1 𝑐𝑚/𝑠

 2
𝑌 = 𝑉0 𝑆𝑖𝑛(θ)𝑡 − 0. 5(𝑔𝑡 )
2
0 =− 0. 5𝑔𝑡 + 𝑉0 𝑆𝑖𝑛(θ)𝑡 − 𝑌
2
−𝑏± 𝑏 −4𝑎𝑐
𝑡= 2𝑎

𝑎 =− 0. 5𝑔, 𝑏 = 𝑉0 𝑆𝑖𝑛(θ), 𝑐 = −𝑌
𝑎 =− 4. 9, 𝑏 = 27. 65, 𝑐 = − 25
2
−𝑏± 𝑏 −4𝑎𝑐
𝑡= 2𝑎
2
−27.65± 27.65 −4(−4.9)(−25)
𝑡= 2(−4.9)
+ 𝑡 = 1. 13𝑠 OR − 𝑡 = 4. 51𝑠
Accurate Time: 𝑡 = 1. 13𝑠
𝐷 = 𝑋 = 𝑉𝑥𝑡 = 𝑉0𝑐𝑜𝑠θ 𝑡
𝐷 = 36. 1 · 𝑐𝑜𝑠50 · 1. 13
Theoretical Distance: 𝐷 = 26. 2𝑐𝑚 OR 𝐷 = 2. 62𝑚
Part II w/o Lab Jack Calculations:

𝑥 = 𝑥𝑎𝑣𝑔
105+151+148+149+150
𝑥𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 5

Average Distance: 𝑥𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 149. 6 𝑐𝑚

4 ANALYSIS and DISCUSSION

Throughout the lab, we measured the projectile motion of the steel ball during which we found its velocity, time,
and range in different circumstances. In Part I, we charted its distance so that we could find the steel balls
velocity and how long it took to hit the ground once fired. In Part 1.2, we calculated the theoretical distance of
the steel ball using the velocity from Part I and placed a target hole to see the difference in the actual distance
2
𝑔𝑡
and theoretical distance. This was done by using the formula: 𝑦 = 2
, allowing us to calculate the time and
displacement that the ball would go through. In Part II, we changed the angle of the mini-launcher and charted
both the range it fired at and the distance it shot the ball.

During Part 1.2, the target hole needs to be adjusted to allow for the projectile to launch through. This
discrepancy could have been caused through the approximation of calculations by rounding or human error in
measuring its distance in Part I. In either case, the discrepancy was very minor and only took an adjustment of
±0.05cm. This was the only notable error in the analysis which is reasonable due to the inaccuracy of the
human eye.

The objective for this lab was to (1) study projectile motion and apply linear motion equations, to (2) predict
where a target of given size should be placed to be hit by a projectile leaving in a horizontal direction, and to
(3) measure the range of a projectile leaving the table at a measured angle and use this value to predict where
the projectile will land. All parts of the experiments involved studying projectile motion and applying linear
motion equations, Part 1.2 allowed us to calculate the theoretical point of where the steel ball should be, and
Part II allowed us to measure the range of the steel ball and use it to calculate where it will land.
Lab Manual Questions:
1. How close is your prediction with the experimental result? What could be the factors that cause the
errors? How to improve it?
Our prediction was often very close to the experimental result. This could have been due to the fact that some
of the results were rounded or because we mis-measured the distance the ball was launched. To improve
these issues, have the measuring tools be locked to fixed positions so that their measurements can be
consistent and use a consistent round method to account for the long decimals.

2. What shape is the path of a projectile?

As seen throughout this experiment, the shape of the projectile was a parabola. As gravity acted upon the
projectile, its path curved downward creating the parabola.

5 CONCLUSIONS
The lab taught us how to calculate and apply the projectile motion formulas to the real-world. It showed us the
correlations to the formulas and what each value meant, both when using it in the formula and when finishing
the calculation.

Some questions that are raised after performing the lab are: On what scale can these formulas still be applied
to? In what real-world situation would calculating the exact point a projectile hits be applicable?

To improve the accuracy of data, a more reliable measuring system should be used. A system where the
measuring tools are fixed to a set position may assist in collecting more accurate distances.