UNIVERSITY OF THE CORDILLERAS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

MECH 2 - DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES

MODULE 2: APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF DYNAMICS

UNIT 4: FLIGHT OF A PROJECTILE

 UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, here are the following desired learning outcomes:
✘ Define Curvilinear Motion.
✘ Solve problems regarding projectile motion.

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 CURVILINEAR MOTION

If the direction of the resultant

passing the center of gravity of the
body is varying, the motion path will
be a curved line called curvilinear
translation.

It is often convenient to study these

kinds of motion by resolving each
parameter in its components.

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 VELOCITY IN CURVILINEAR MOTION

𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
𝑣𝑥 = 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣𝑦 =
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑣= 𝑣𝑥 2 + 𝑣𝑦 2

𝑑𝑦ൗ
𝑣𝑦 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑦
tan 𝜃 = = =
𝑣𝑥 𝑑𝑥ൗ 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑡

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ACCELERATION IN CURVILINEAR MOTION
𝑑𝑣𝑥 𝑑 2 𝑥
𝑎𝑥 = = 2
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑑𝑣𝑦 𝑑 2 𝑦
𝑎𝑦 = = 2
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑎= 𝑎𝑥 2 + 𝑎𝑦 2

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 PROJECTILE MOTION
The equations developed in the discussions for Uniform
Rectilinear and Uniformly Accelerated Rectilinear
Motion (Free-Fall) will here be used in the analysis of
the motion of a projectile.
The actual motion of a projectile is influenced by a
number of factors, such as the rotation of the projectile
𝑉𝑦
due to the rifling of the barrel, wind velocity, humidity,
etc., which require modifications in the results found
𝑉𝑥 𝑉𝑥
from the assumed ideal conditions. The motion of a 𝑉 𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥
projectile moving without rotation in a vacuum will here
𝑉𝑦
be considered.
The motion may be studied by treating the components 𝑥𝑇
of the motion in the "𝑥" and "𝑦" directions as follows:

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 PROJECTILE MOTION
Trajectory – the path of the projectile
Range, 𝑥𝑇 = the total distance covered by the projectile
during the time of flight.
Time of Flight, 𝑡𝑇 = the time from the launch of the
projectile to its landing on the ground.
𝑉𝑦
Maximum Height, 𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥 = the greatest height reached by
the projectile relative to the ground. The vertical
𝑉𝑥 𝑉𝑥
component of velocity of the object when it will reach its 𝑉 𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥
maximum height is zero.
𝑉𝑦
Time to Reach Maximum Height, 𝑡𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥 . When the
projectile reaches its greatest height. 𝑥𝑇

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 !! RECALL !!
Uniformly
Uniform Accelerated
Rectilinear Rectilinear Motion
Motion (Free-Fall)

𝑆 𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉0 + 𝑎𝑡 → 𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉0 + 𝑔𝑡
𝑉=
𝑡 1 1
𝑆 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 2 → 𝑦 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2
2 2
𝑉𝑓2 − 𝑉02 = 2𝑎𝑆 → 𝑉𝑓2 − 𝑉02 = 2𝑔𝑦

Where: Where:
𝑔 = 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑉 = 𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑦 = ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝑆 = 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑔 = 9.81 𝑚/𝑠2 = 981 𝑐𝑚/𝑠2 = 32.2 𝑓𝑡/𝑠2
𝑉𝑓 = 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑡 = 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 Always consider the “DOM” as the positive
𝑉0 = 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
direction.
𝑡 = 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑/𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛
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 1
EXAMPLE 1.
𝑑𝑆 2 2
𝑉= 𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉0 + 𝑔𝑡 𝑦 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2 𝑉𝑓 − 𝑉0 = 2𝑔𝑦
𝑑𝑡 2

A bullet is projected upward at an Solution:

angle of 60 with the horizontal with For 𝑥𝑇 , use Uniform Rectilinear
a velocity of 2000 ft /s. Find the Motion 𝑔 = −32.2 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 2
range and time of flight.
𝑆 𝑡 = 𝑡𝑇
𝑉=
𝑡
𝑦=0
𝑉 = 2000 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑠60° = 1000 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠
1
𝑆 = 𝑥𝑇 0 = 1732.05 𝑡𝑇 + −32.2 𝑡𝑇 2
2
2000 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 0 = 𝑡𝑇 (1732.05 − 16.1𝑡𝑇 )
𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥 𝑡 = 𝑡𝑇
60°
𝑡𝑇 = 107.581 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
𝑥𝑇 𝑥𝑇
1000 =
𝑡𝑇 Therefore:
𝑥𝑇 = 1000 𝑡𝑇
𝑥𝑇 = 1000 107.581
For 𝑡𝑇 , use Free-Fall
𝑥𝑇 = 107, 581 𝑓𝑡
Required: 1
𝑥𝑇 and 𝑡𝑇 𝑦 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2
2

𝑉0 = 2000 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑛60° = 1732.05 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠

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 1
EXAMPLE 2.
𝑑𝑆 2 2
𝑉= 𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉0 + 𝑔𝑡 𝑦 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2 𝑉𝑓 − 𝑉0 = 2𝑔𝑦
𝑑𝑡 2

A shot is fired from a gun on the top

Solution:
of a cliff 400 ft. high, with a velocity
of 768 ft/s, the angle of elevation of 𝑔 = −32.2 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 2
For 𝑥𝑇 , use Uniform Rectilinear
the gun being 30°. Find the range
Motion
on a horizontal plane through the 𝑡 = 𝑡𝑇
base of the cliff and its final velocity 𝑆
the moment it touches the ground. 𝑉= 𝑦 = −400 𝑓𝑡
𝑡

𝑉 = 768 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑠30° = 665.108 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 1

−400 = 384 𝑡𝑇 + −32.2 𝑡𝑇 2
2
𝑆 = 𝑥𝑇 16.1𝑡𝑇 2 − 384𝑡𝑇 − 400 = 0

768 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 𝑡𝑇 = −1 (𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡)

𝑡 = 𝑡𝑇
30°
𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥 𝑡𝑇 = 24.851 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
𝑥𝑇 = 665.108 𝑡𝑇
400 𝑓𝑡
For 𝑡𝑇 , use Free-Fall Therefore:
𝑥𝑇
1 𝑥𝑇 = 665.108 24.851
𝑦 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2
2
Required: 𝑥𝑇 = 16,528.60 𝑓𝑡
𝑥𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉𝑓 𝑉0 = 768 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° = 384 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠

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 1
EXAMPLE 2. Continuation………
𝑑𝑆 2 2
𝑉= 𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉0 + 𝑔𝑡 𝑦 = 𝑉0 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2 𝑉𝑓 − 𝑉0 = 2𝑔𝑦
𝑑𝑡 2

A shot is fired from a gun on the top

of a cliff 400 ft. high, with a velocity
of 768 ft/s, the angle of elevation of
the gun being 30°. Find the range
For 𝑉𝑓 , use 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑥 2 + 𝑣𝑦 2
on a horizontal plane through the
base of the cliff and its final velocity
the moment it touches the ground. 𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉𝑓𝑥 2 + 𝑉𝑓𝑦 2

𝑉𝑓𝑥 = 665.108 𝑓𝑡Τ𝑠

𝑉𝑓𝑦 = 𝑉0𝑦 + 𝑔𝑡𝑇

𝑉𝑓𝑦 = 384 − 32.2(24.851)
768 𝑓𝑡/𝑠
𝑉𝑓𝑦 = −416.202 𝑓𝑡/𝑠
30°
𝑦𝑀𝑎𝑥
𝑉𝑓 = 665.108 2 + −416.202 2
400 𝑓𝑡

𝑥𝑇
𝑉𝑓 = 784.60 𝑓𝑡/𝑠

Required:
𝑥𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉𝑓

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 Let’s review some concepts

“Projectile Motion problems can be solve by simple

combination of the principles developed in Uniform
Rectilinear Motion and Uniformly Accelerated
Rectilinear Motion as observed in Free-Falling
Bodies.”

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