MOTION IN A PLANE – PROJECTILE & CIRCULAR MOTION

1. Projectile Motion – Equations of a Projectile

2. Equation of path of Projectile, Time of Flight, Maximum Height & Range
3. Maximum Range and Range for Complement Angles of Projection
4. Circular Motion – Relation between Linear and Angular Velocity
5. Acceleration in Uniform Circular Motion – Direction and Magnitude
6. Acceleration in terms of Angular Speed and Frequency
7. Directions of r, v, w and acp
PROJECTILE MOTION

Projectile
An object that is in flight after it being thrown or projected is called a projectile.

Projectile Motion
The motion of a projectile which is in flight after it being thrown or projected is
called projectile motion.

It can be understood as the result of two separate, simultaneously occurring

components of motion (along x- and y- axes).

The component along the horizontal direction (x- axis) is without acceleration.

The component along the vertical direction (y- axis) is with constant acceleration
under the influence of gravity.

In our study, the air resistance is negligible and the acceleration due to gravity is
constant over the entire path of the projectile.

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Equations of a Projectile Motion
Suppose that the projectile is launched with velocity v0 that makes an angle θ0 with the x-axis.

Acceleration acting on the projectile is due to gravity

Y
which is directed vertically downward:

a = -g j
or ax = 0, ay= -g a = -g j
v0
The components of initial velocity v0 are: v0 sin θ0

v0x = v0 cos θ0
θ0
v0y = v0 sin θ0 O v0 cos θ0 X
If the initial position is taken as the origin O, then

x0 = 0, y0= 0
x = x0 + v0xt + ½ axt2 becomes x = v0xt = (v0 cos θ0)t

and y = y0 + v0yt + ½ ayt2 becomes y = (v0 sin θ0)t - ½ gt2

The components of velocity at time t are:

vx = v0x + ax t becomes vx = v0x = v0 cos θ0

and vy = v0y + ay t becomes vy = v0 sin θ0 - gt

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 Y Note:
v0 sin θ0 - gt vt v0 cos θ0 The horizontal component of
velocity remains constant
β
throughout the motion.
v0 cos θ0 v0 cos θ0
But, the vertical component reduces
vt to zero at its peak of the path and
-(v0 sin θ0 – gt) again increases in the opposite
direction.
v0
a = -g j
v0 sin θ0

θ0 v0 cos θ0
O v0 cos θ0 -θ0
X

-v0 sin θ0 v
The magnitude of velocity of the projectile at an instant ‘t’ is given by

vt = v02 cos2 θ0 + (v0 sin θ0 – gt)2

The direction of velocity of the projectile at that instant ‘t’ is given by

v0 sin θ0 - gt
tan β =
v0 cos θ0
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Equation of path of a projectile
The shape of the path of a projectile can be found by mathematical equation.

x
From x = v0xt = (v0 cos θ0)t we get t =
v0 cos θ0

y = (v0 sin θ0)t - ½ gt2 becomes

2
x x
y = (v0 sin θ0) - ½g
v0 cos θ0 v0 cos θ0

On simplification,
g
y = (tan θ0) x - x2
2 (v0 cos θ0) 2

Since g, θ0 and v0 are constants, the above equation is in the form of

g
y = ax - bx2 where a = tan θ0 and b =
2 (v0 cos θ0)2
The above equation is the equation of a parabola.

Therefore, the path of the projectile is a parabola.

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Time to reach Maximum Height and Time of Flight of a Projectile

Let tm be the time taken for the projectile to reach its maximum height and Tf be the
total time of flight of the projectile.

At the point of maximum height t = tm , vy = 0.

vy = v0 sin θ0 - gt becomes 0 = v0 sin θ0 - gtm

v0 sin θ0
or tm =
g
At t = Tf , y = 0.
y = (v0 sin θ0)t - ½ gt2 becomes 0= (v0 sin θ0)Tf - ½ gTf2

2 v0 sin θ0
or Tf =
g

Note that Tf = 2 tm because of the symmetric nature of the parabolic path.

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Maximum Height of a Projectile

At hm (the maximum height of the projectile), vy = 0.

vy2 = v02 sin2 θ0 – 2gy becomes

02 = v02 sin2 θ0 – 2ghm

v02 sin2 θ0
or hm =
2g

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Range of a Projectile

Let R be the Range of the projectile after time Tf (Time of flight). It is the horizontal distance
covered by the projectile from its initial position (0,0) to the position where it passes y = 0.

x = v0xt = (v0 cos θ0)t becomes

R = (v0 cos θ0) Tf
2 v0 sin θ0
or R = (v0 cos θ0)
g

v02 sin 2θ0

or R=
g

Note that the range will be maximum for the maximum value of sin.
i.e. when sin 2θ0 = 1. This is possible when θ0 is 45°.

v0 2
Therefore, the maximum horizontal range is Rm =
g

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Ans- H=10 m
T=2.9 s
R= 69.3 m
Ans- H=14.7 m
R= 33.95 m
UNIFORM CIRCULAR MOTION v’
When a body moves with constant speed on a
circular path, it is said to have uniform circular w
motion.
P’
A particle P moves on a circle of r' v
Δq
radius vector r with uniform angular
Δr
velocity w. Δs
O Δq
Linear velocity v is constant in magnitude r
but changes its direction continuously.
P
\ The particle experiences acceleration.
In case of non-uniform circular motion, the particle experiences acceleration due to
change in both speed and direction.

When the particle moves from P to P’ in time Δt = t’ – t, the line OP (radius

vector) moves through an angle Δθ. Δθ is called ‘angular displacement’.
The velocity vector v turns through the same angle Δθ and becomes v’.
The linear displacement PP’ is Δr. The linear distance Δs is the arc PP’.
The angular velocity is the rate of change of angular displacement.

lim Δθ
w=
Δt→0 Δt Home Next Previous
Relation between Linear and Angular Velocity
The linear velocity is the rate of change of linear displacement.
lim Δs
|v| =
Δt→0 Δt
But Δs = r Δθ

lim r Δθ
\ |v| =
Δt→0 Δt

lim Δθ
or |v| = r Δt→0
Δt

|v| = r |w|

v=wxr

w, r and v are mutually perpendicular to each other and w is perpendicular

to the plane containing r and v.

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Acceleration in Uniform Circular Motion
Direction of acceleration of a particle in a uniform circular motion
v’

P’ Δv Δv
r' v Δv Δv Δvβ
Δq

β
Δq β
Δr V

β
V V
Δs V’ Δq V
O v’ v
Δq qq
ΔΔ
Δq
r
P

As Δt→0, Δq→0° and β→90°. It means the angle between Δv and v, i.e. β
increases and approaches 90°. i.e. Δv becomes perpendicular to v.
r is perpendicular to v. And Δv is also perpendicular to v.
\ Δv is acting along -r. (Note the negative sign)
Since acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, therefore it acts in the
direction of Δv. Or it acts in the direction along the radius and towards the
centre O. Hence, the acceleration is called ‘centripetal acceleration’.
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Magnitude of acceleration of a particle in a uniform circular motion
v’

P’
r' Δq v Δv A
B
Δr
Δs
O v’ v
Δq
Δq
r
P P

The two isosceles triangles OPP’ and PAB are similar triangles.

AB PA |Δv| |v| |v|

\ = or = or |Δv| = |Δr|
PP’ OP |Δr| |r| |r|

lim |Δv| lim |v| |Δr| |v| lim |Δr|

|a|= Δt→0 \ |a|= Δt→0 x or |a|= Δt→0 Δt
Δt |r| Δt |r|
|v| |v|2 v2
or |a|= |v| or |a|= or acp =
r
|r| |r| Home Next Previous
Centripetal acceleration can be expressed in terms of angular speed.
v2
acp =
r
But v = rw
(rw)2
\ acp =
r

or acp = w2r

Centripetal acceleration in terms of

frequency can be expressed as:

w = 2πν

\ acp = w2r becomes acp = (2πν)2 r

or acp = 4π 2 ν2 r

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Directions of r, v, w and acp

The relative directions of various quantities are shown in the figure.

w v
O
r
acp
P

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Ans- 0.0017 rad/s
0.000145 rad/s

Ans- w = 4 rad/s
V= 0.636 Hz
T= 1.57s
a= 48m/s2