DISCUSSION OF RESULTS:

A. DETERMINING THE ORIGINAL SPEED OF AN OBJECT LAUNCHED

HORIZONTALLY

AFTER SETTING PROPERLY THE PROJECTILE LAUNCHER ON THE TOP OF

THE TABLE, WE MEASURED FIRST THE VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT “Y” FROM
THE CROSS HAIR DOWN TO THE POINT A (POINT DIRECTLY BENEATH THE
CROSSHAIR). NEXT, WE INSERTED THE PLASTIC BALL INSIDE THE
LAUNCHER AND SET THE SYSTEM TO “MEDIUM RANGE” USING THE
RAMROD. AFTER EJECTING THE BALL, WE PLACED THE WHITE PAPER
TOGETHER WITH THE CARBON PAPER TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE BALL
LANDED. WE PERFORMED 5 CONSECUTIVE TRIALS AND MARKED THEIR
RESPECTIVE LANDING POINTS IN THE WHITE PAPER. WE MEASURED THE
HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT “X” FROM THE POINT A TO THE LANDING
POINT USING THE STEEL TAPE MEASURE.

WE CALCULATED THE TIME OF FLIGHT IN EACH TRIAL USING THE

FORMULA:
t = (2y/g)1/2 WHERE g=980cm/s2

WE ALSO CALCULATED THE ORIGINAL SPEED, v0 USING THE FORMULA:

v0 = x / cos∅ .t WHERE ∅ 0 = 0

WE FOUND OUT THAT THE HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT IS DIRECTLY

PROPORTIONAL TO THE ORIGINAL SPEED, WHICH ACTUALLY VERIFIES
THAT THE BALL CONTINUOUSLY MOVING HORIZONTALLY ALTHOUGH IT IS
AFFECTED BY THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE WHICH RESULTED TO ITS
PARABOLIC PATH (TRAJECTORY).

THE OBJECT IN PROJECTILE MOTION MOVES HORIZONTALLY AT A

CONSTANT RATE. THE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF THE FINAL VELOCITY
IS ALWAYS EQUAL TO THE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF THE ORIGINAL
VELOCITY AT ANY POINT IN THE TRAJECTORY AND IS EVIDENT WITH THE
RESULT OF 5.1123m/s AS THE CONSTANT VELOCITY.