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How does the velocity and vertical displacement affect the range of a projectile motion?
Habib Sajid

3/5/2012

Habib Sajid

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Table of Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................ 2 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 2 2 Theory .................................................................................................................. 2 3 Experiment .......................................................................................................... 3 4 Data ................................................................................................................... 4-5 5 Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 5

Habib Sajid

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Abstract
Let us define projectile motion as the motion of a particle through a region of space where it is subject to constant acceleration. An object moving through the air near the surface of the earth is subject to the constant gravitational acceleration g, directed downward. If no other forces are acting on the object, i.e. if the object does not have a propulsion system and we neglect air resistance, then the motion of the object is projectile motion.

Introduction
In this lab experiment we were trying to see how the range of a projectile was affected by changing its initial velocity and the height. These are the questions we are trying to answer: If you increase the height at which you launch an object, does the object travel for a greater distance? And if you increase the velocity of an object does it travel farther? My hypothesis is that the velocity and height may make a difference on how far an object can travel in terms of range with a projectile motion.

Theory
The experiment will require us to launch a ball bearing from a ramp and we will have to record its horizontal displacement. Independent Vertical displacement Initial Velocity Dependent Horizontal Displacement

Variables

Equation:

Habib Sajid

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Experiment

We conducted this experiment by launching the marble from the ramp and measuring how far the vertical displacement was. We experimented by changing two variables. For the height at which the marble was launched we changed the height at which the launcher is placed by putting textbooks underneath the ramp. We did three trials for each of the three heights that we experimented at. Then we did the same for the initial velocity at which the projectile is launched at by changing the starting points for the projectile on the ramp.

Habib Sajid

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Data
Constant Velocity, Change in Vertical Displacement y(m) 0.925 0.962 0.999 0.726 0.773 0.799 0.708 0.716 x(m) 1 0.766 0.708

2 3 0.714 0.767

Avg.

0.809

0.800

0.788

Constant Vertical Displacement, Change in Height V0(m) 1.944 1.018 0.189 x(m) 1 0.726 0.440 0.082

2 0.708 0.443 0.081

3 0.708 0.444 0.082

Avg. 0.714 0.442 0.082

Habib Sajid

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Conclusions
The experiment was a success. It showed us that increasing the height and initial velocity will change the vertical displacement if the projectile. I wasnt very surprised by the result because it seemed logical that it would occur and I was happy that our hypothesis was correct. The data that we collected may not be very accurate because of the high chance of human error while doing the experiment.we collected our data and finished our experiment very quickly with a high degree of accuracy because we were prepared.