Projectile Motion

Projectile in Sports
 Have you experienced throwing or kicking a ball? So, what have you observed?
 Can you describe the path of the ball?
Projectile motion can apply to sports like basketball, volley ball and football. These sports involve throwing and
kicking a ball. And they are all making a curved path in mid- air. This curved path made by the ball is called a projectile, a
motion with two-dimensions; the horizontal (range or distance) and vertical (height) components.

The angle of release affects the range and height of a projectile. The maximum range is
achieved if the projectile is fired at an angle of 45º with respect to the horizontal as
shown in figure 2. An object launched at an angle of 30º will also be the same if it is
launched at 60º. The angles 30º and 60º are called complementary angles because they
add up to 90º.
As the angle of launch increases, the vertical displacement of the projectile will also
increase. At the highest point, the vertical component of velocity is zero and the time to
reach the maximum height is half of the total time of flight.

Projectile motion Sample Problems:

1. A baseball player leads off the game and hits along home run. The ball leaves the bat at an angle of 25º with a
velocity of 30 m/s.
a. What is the maximum height reached by the ball?
b. What is the horizontal displacement (range) of the ball?
Given:
𝑣𝑜 = 30 m/s sin θ = 0.423
θ = 25ºcos θ = 0.906
Find:
a. max. height (𝑑𝑦) = ?
b. Range (𝑑𝑥) = ?

Solve for t (time):

Solution:

2. A soccer ball is kicked 35º above with an initial velocity of 23.0 m/s and reaches a maximum height of
1.27 m at 0.10 second. Determine the horizontal displacement (range) of the ball.
Given:
𝑣𝑜 = 23 m/s sin θ = 0.574
θ = 35º cos θ = 0.819
t = 0.10 s
Find: range (𝑑𝑥)

Solution:
 Solve for t:

Equation:
t = 2t
t = 2 (0.10 s)
t = 0.20 s

 Solve for 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜 cos θ t
𝑑𝑥= (23m/s)(Cos 35°)(0.20s)
𝑑𝑥 = (23 m/s) (0.819) (0.20 s)
𝑑𝑥 = 3.77 m

 Activity 1- Monday

Complete the table below.

A football player kicked the ball at a speed of 27.0 m/s as shown in the figure. Determine the range and the height
achieved by the ball at a given angle. (Assume that the speeds are the same at a different angle).

Angle Time of flight Hieght Range

20º 4.4 m
35º 3.2 s 71 m
45º 18.6 m
55º 6.2 s
70º 5.2 s

 Activity 2- Tuesday
1. What is the distance traveled by the ball at 20º?
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2. How would you compare the distance travelled by the ball at angles of 35º to 55º?
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3. At what angle of projection is the distance travelled maximum?

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4. What is the height achieved by the ball that is projected at an angle of 70º?
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5. Compare the height achieved by the ball projected at 35º to 55º

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 Activity 3- Wednesday
Read each statement below carefully and fill in the blank(s) with the correct answer. Answers may be
more than one word.
1. As the angle of launch_________________, the vertical displacement of the projectile will also
___________________.
2. The_________________is achieved if the projectile is fired at an angle of 45º with respect to the horizontal.
3. At the highest point, the vertical component of velocity is and the time to reach the maximum height
is_________________of the total time of flight.
4. An object launched at an angle of 15º will also be the same if it is launched at _________________
5. A_________________is an example of projectile motion.

Give 5 examples of sports wherein projectile motion is being applied:

1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
4. _________________________
5. _________________________

 Quiz- Thursday

_____1. In the absence of air resistance, the ball was thrown at an angle. Which of the following angle does the ball
go farthest?
A. 35.0º
B. 45.0º
C. 65.0º
D. 90.0º
_____2. A basketball player has thrown the ball at an angle of 30.0º and travels 10.0 m. If the ball is thrown at the
same speed, at what other angle will the ball be allowed to travel 10.0 m?
A. 40.0º
B. 50.0º
C. 60.0º
D. 70.0º
_____3. A baseball player hits the ball at an angle of 15.0º from the horizontal with a velocity of 20.0 m/s. How far will
the ball travel in the air?
A. 10.24 m
B. 20.48 m
C. 21.0 m
D. 21.5 m
_____4. A football is kicked with an initial velocity of 30 m/s at an angle of 45º with the horizontal. Determine the
maximum height of the football.
A. 22.00 m
B. 22.93 m
C. 35.22 m
D. 36.00 m
_____5. Sports develop a sense of friendliness among children and develop their team spirit. Which of the following is not
a benefits of sports?
A. Lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
B. Improve the memory and brain function.
C. Protect against many chronic diseases.
D. Gain weight and tiredness.

 T or F
1. A projectile motion has a constant velocity in the horizontal direction.
2. The velocity at the maximum height of a projectile motion is not equal to zero.
3. The path of the projectile motion is called a trajectory.
4. A force acting on a projectile is gravity.
5. The gravity at the maximum height of a projectile motion is zero.
6.Projectile motion can apply to sports like basketball, volley ball and football.
7.The curved path made by the ball is called a projectile, a motion with two-dimensions; the horizontal and
vertical components.
8. The angle of release affects the range and height of a projectile.
9. As the angle of launch increases, the vertical displacement of the projectile will also increase.
10. The vertical component of velocity is zero and the time to reach the maximum height is half of the total
time of flight.