The Projectile app is a tutorial aimed at understanding projectile motion, which is two-dimensional motion under the influence of gravity. This app is targeted at students, either at the high school or the college/university level, who are learning about projectile motion in physics class.
The Projectile app has five different parts, as outlined below.
Part 1 – Introduction. The introduction to projectile motion includes a sequence of four animations that give a basic overview of the typical method used to analyze projectile motion, which is to break the motion into two separate parts. Horizontally, there is no acceleration, so the motion is constant-velocity motion. Vertically, the acceleration is the constant acceleration due to gravity, so the standard one-dimensional constant-acceleration equations can be applied.
Part 2 – Detailed example problem. This is a six-step problem, which goes through a step-by-step method for solving a particular projectile motion problem.
Part 3 – A simulation of projectile motion. With the simulation, you can adjust the projectiles initial velocity and launch angle, as well as the value of the acceleration due to gravity, to see what happens. The simulation shows the path followed by the projectile, as well as the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) components of the position, and the time that has passed since the launch. Note that the grid lines on the simulation are always 5 meters apart.
Part 4 – Conceptual questions. Work through a sequence of five conceptual questions, to see if you really understand the basic concepts of projectile motion.
Part 5 – Numerical questions. Work through a sequence of five numerical questions (which use randomized values), to get some practice solving problems that relate to projectile motion.