Harder Examples Using The Above Methods EXAMPLE 1 : A cannonball is fired from the top of a cliff.

It has an initial velocity of 40m .s-1 at an angle of 30o to the horizontal. If the cliff height is 100m high, how long will it take t o hit the ground and what will be its horizontal displacement of the cannonball? (Assume that acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m.s-1) SOLUTION : u = 40m.s-1 uv = 20 m.s-1 ? = 30o h = 100m g = 9.8 m.s-2 The length of time in the air will only be affected by the vertical component of u (i.e. usin, 40 sin30o = 20 m.s-1) By the time the ball reaches the same height as the cliff top on its downward trip it will be moving at its initial vertical component (i.e. 20 m.s-1) but in the opposite direction. Make UP a positive value and DOWN a negative value. The ball's final velocity can be found with v2 = u2 + 2gs v2 = (20)2 + 2 (9.8)(100) v2= 2360 v = 48.6 m.s-1 The time spent in the air can now be found by using the formula v = u + g t Remember to use the right signs when substituting in this equation -48.6 = 20 + (-9.8)t -68.6 = (-9.8)t 7 = t Time spent in air = 7 seconds. The horizontal displacement is given by the horizontal speed component uh (i.e. 40cos30 = 34.6 m.s-1) multiplied by the time the ball was in the air. s = uht s = 34.6 x 7 s = 242 metres EXAMPLE 2 : To fulfil a lifelong dream, Tang is shot from a cannon at 100 m.s-1 and at 80o t o the hard concrete surface. How high will Tang go before he starts to fall back down to th e ground? SOLUTION : u = 100m.s-1 g = 9.8 m.s-2 ? = 80o

The horizontal component of Tang can be neglected in this question. Only the ver tical component (uv = 100sin80o = 98.5m.s-1) is important. At the top of his flight Tang will have a final velocity of 0 m.s-1 Make UP positive values and DOWN negative values. Using the formula v2 = u2 + 2gs 0 = (100)2 + 2 (- 9.8) s s = -10000/-19.8 s = 505 metres Tang will rise 505 metres into the air before he starts to fall back down. EXAMPLE 3 : A banana is thrown by a gorilla from the ground at 36km/h at an angle of 30 degr ees to the ground: a) b) c) d) What is What is How far How old the time of flight of the object? the object s maximum height? away does the object land from the gorilla? is the gorilla?

SOLUTION : Data : x = 30 degrees. u = 36 km/h = 36000m/3600s =10m/s

Method 1: This method involves re-deriving the boxed formulas which were created above, and is necessary when doing more difficult questions. uh = ucosx = 10 x cos 30 = 10 x 0.866 = 8.66m/s uv = usinx = 10 x sin 30 = 10 x 0.5 = 5m/s a) v = uv + at 0 = 5 - 9.8 x t t = 5/9.8 t = 0.5102 Total time = 2 x t = 1.02m/s b) v2 = uv2 + 2as 0 = 52 - 2 x 9.8 x s s = 25/(2 x 9.8) s = 1.28m c) Range = time of flight x ucosx Range = 1.02.x 8.66 Range = 8.83m Method 2 : This is method will directly use the formulas above, and is quite ok when doing more simple questions. a) t = usinx/4.9 t = 10sin 30 / 4.9 t = 1.02m/s b) s = (usinx)2/19.6 s = (10sin30)2 /19.6

s = 1.28m c) range = utcosx range = 10 x 1.02 x cos30 range = 8.83m EXAMPLE 4 : A person throws a tomato off the harbour bridge at 30m/s and at an angle of 30 degrees to the bridge. The harbour bridge happens to be 30m above the water (how convenient). a) b) c) d) What What What What is is is is the the the the total time of flight? maximum height of the tomato from the water? range of the tomato? velocity of the tomato just before it hits the water.

SOLUTION : With these more difficult questions it is easier to derive everything. Data : u = 30m/s x = 30 degrees height of bridge = 30m/s uv = usinx = 30sin30 = 15m/s uh = ucosx = 30cos30 = 25.99m/s a) Let us consider the question in two parts, that is above and below the level of the bridge. v = uv + at 0 = 15 - 9.8t t = 15/9.89 t = 1.53m/s Total time above the bridge = 3.06m/s Now when the tomato reaches the level of the bridge again, it s velocity downwards is the same as the velocity it was launched at. (note gravity is now positive a s it is heading in the same direction as the tomato). s = uvt + 0.5at2 30 = 15 x t + 0.5 x 9.8 x t2 4.9t2 + 15t - 30 = 0 Using the quadratic equation, t = 1.38 or -43.5 But since there is no such thing is negative time, the answer is 1.38s Hence total time of flight = 3.06 + 1.38 = 4.44m/s b) v2 = uv2 + 2as 0 = 152 - 2 x 9.8 x s s = 225/(2 x 9.8) s = 11.48m (above the bridge) Thus, maximum height above water = 11.48 + 30 = 41.48m c) Range = total time of flight x uh Range = 4.44 x 25.99

Range = 115.40m d) Again, this involves working with values when the tomato reaches the level of the bridge, vertical velocity = 15 + 9.8 x 1.38 (t=1.38 is the time required for the object to reach the ground from the level o f the bridge) vertical velocity = 28.524m/s horizontal velocity = 25.99m/s Using pythagoras s theorem, u2 = uh2 + uv2 (where u is the resultant velocity) u2 = 28.5242 + 25.992 u = 38.59m/s Thus the velocity is 38.59m/s just before it hits the water. EXAMPLE 5 : A launcher at ground level can fire boomerangs at 60m/s. If Chester is 300metres away, at what angle must the boomerang be fired to hit Chester? SOLUTION : uv = 60sinx t = uv/4.9 (using the formula for total time of travel) t = 60sinx/4.9 total time of travel = 12.25sinx Now, Range = uh x total time of travel 300 = 60cosx x 12.25sinx 735sinxcosx = 300 2sinxcosx = 0.816 sin2x = 0.816 (note one of the trigonometric identities you may not have learnt is sin2x = 2si nxcosx) 2x = 54.72 or 125.28 degrees x = 27.36 or 62.64 degrees Hence the cannon must be fired at either 27.36 or 62.64 degrees to hit Chester. Now that you ve seen some of the mathematics behind Projectile Motions, you can pl ay our own specially designed projectile motion game, starring Chester himself. Specifying your velocity and angle of projection, you can attempt to hit Chester using a variety of objects. COOL eh?