Chapter 5 Projectiles

5 PROJECTILES
Objectives
After studying this chapter you should

recognise that projectile motion is common;

understand how to obtain a simple mathematical model of

projectile motion;

be able to validate the model;

be able to solve simple problems of projectile motion;

know how to use the model to investigate real life projectile

problems.

5.0

Introduction

What do tennis and basket balls have in common with

kangaroos?
The ball or body is in motion through the air, the only forces
acting on it being its weight and the resistance to its motion due
to the air. A motion like this is called a projectile motion and
is very common especially in sport, for example basketball and
tennis. The jumps of insects such as locusts, fleas and
grasshoppers are projectile motions, as are the motions of a slate
blown off a roof and a piece of mud or small stone thrown up
from the road against a car windscreen. Road accidents often
involve projectile motions, for example that of the shattered
glass of a windscreen. The drops of water that form the jet from
a hosepipe behave as projectiles. The Greeks and Romans used
catapults to launch projectiles at their enemies, archers were
important in medieval battles like Crcy and Agincourt, whilst
guns have been a major weapon of war from the sixteenth
century onwards.

Activity 1

Projectiles and sport

Make a list of sports which involve projectile motion. How

many can you find?
Make a list of non-sporting examples of projectile motion.

Why is it useful to investigate projectile motion?

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

Sports coaches want to know how to improve performance.

Police accident investigators want to determine car speeds from
the position of glass and other objects at the scene of an
accident. In these and other instances mathematical modelling
of projectile motion proves very useful.

5.1

Making a mathematical
model

You met some examples of mathematical models in Chapter 1,

where they take the form of a graph or equation obtained from
data collected in experiments. In Chapter 2 you were introduced
to Newton's laws; the models in this chapter use these laws to
attempt to answer interesting questions about everyday
situations. How can I improve my performance at basketball?
Why do the chairs swing out on the chair-o-plane ride at a theme
park? To shed light on these questions with a mathematical
model it is necessary to decide what are the important quantities
- e.g. speed, the height of the basket, the weight of the riders in
the sport or ride - and to make some assumptions or informed
guesses, as to the relations between them.. The resulting model
is usually a set of equations. Their solution gives results which
need to be tested out against the original situation to see that
they make sense. This is called validating the model. A model
which agrees well with the real situation can be used to make
predictions about it. One which does not agree well needs
modifying, for example, by asking if all the important quantities
really have been taken into account.

Stage 1
Setting up the model
Choose features
Identify quantities
Make assumptions
Set up a model

Stage 2
Solution
Solve any
mathematical
equations

Stage 3
Validation
Make deductions
from the model
Use data to test these
Assess the model

The diagram opposite summarises this modelling process.

This diagram is basic to what follows. You should use it in any
modelling exercises you do.

5.2

Setting up a model for

projectile motion

Choosing features and identifying

quantities
When a projectile such as a basketball is thrown, it describes a
path through the air, first ascending and then descending but
also travelling forwards. To describe the motion a mathematical
model needs to give the position and velocity of the projectile at
any point of its path as functions of time and reproduce the
features just described.
110

Improve
the model

Prediction
Understanding

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Activity 2

What determines the motion of a

projectile?

Make a list of the quantities you think determine the motion of a

projectile such as a basketball.
Which do you think are the most important?

You may have on your list the size and shape of the projectile.
The next activity explores how important these are.

Activity 3

The motion of a tennis racket

You need a tennis racket (or similar) and a piece of coloured

adhesive tape for this activity.
Find the position of the centre of mass of the tennis racket. One
way to do this is to find the point about which the racket balances
on your finger.

line of
symmetry

Stick the piece of tape at the centre of mass.

Have two friends throw the racket between them and watch the
motion of the tape.

adhesive tape at
centre of mass

Is the motion of the tape similar to the projectile motion of a ball?

Making assumptions
Activity 3 suggests that, even when the tennis racket rotates, the
motion of the centre of mass is as if there were a particle there.
This suggests
Assumption 1

The projectile is treated as a particle.

This is reasonable for a tennis or basket ball provided the ball

does not have too much spin or rotation. Large amounts of spin
on a ball can, however, significantly affect the motion. Treating
the ball as a particle leaves out spin and rotation. Even replacing
a kangaroo by a particle at its centre of mass gives results which
tally with what happens in the hops of real kangaroos.
One way in which spin affects the motion of a ball is by deflecting
the motion out of a vertical plane. Side winds can have the same
effect. Many projectiles do, however, move in more or less the
one vertical plane and these, being the simplest, are the ones
modelled here.

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

Assumption 2

The motion is in one vertical plane.

You may have the resistance of the air to a projectiles motion

on your Activity 2 list. However, since many projectiles are in
flight for quite short times, air resistance is probably not very
important in their motion compared to gravity.
Assumption 3

Air resistance is negligible.

For a model based on these assumptions the motion of the

projectile depends at most on
its initial speed U and angle of projection ;
its point of release;
its mass m;
gravity.
Are these the quantities you decided were most important in
Activity 2?

Setting up the model

Projectile motion must obey Newtons Second Law

force = mass acceleration .

Since air resistance is assumed negligible, the only force on the
projectile is its weight which acts vertically downward at every
point of the path.
To give the position of the projectile at any time t some
coordinates are needed. A convenient origin is the point O at
which the projectile is released and the time at which this
happens is taken as t = 0 . Cartesian axes Ox, Oy, are then
chosen along the horizontal and vertical through O.
The position of the projectile at any time t is given by its
position vector

r= xi+ y j ,
where i and j are unit vectors along Ox and Oy. Since r varies
with t, x and y are functions of t, which it is the aim of the model
to determine.
The velocity v of the projectile is
v=

112

dr
dt

dx
dt

i+

dy
dt

j,

r
j
O

Chapter 5 Projectiles

whilst its acceleration a is

a=

dv
dt

d 2r
dt

d2x
dt

i+

d2y
dt

.
j

The basic equation of the model

The force on the projectile at time t is
F = 0i mg j .

Newtons Second Law then gives m a = F or

d2 r
dt

= 0i mg j.
mg

Dividing through by m gives

d2 r
dt

= 0i g j.

(1)

This is the basic equation of the model.

Deduction 1
Since this equation does not involve m, the motion is
independent of the mass of the projectile.

5.3

Solving the basic equation

of the model

Integrating equation (1) gives

v=

dr
dt

= Ai+ ( B gt ) j
,

(2)

y
u
U

where A and B are constants.

Since the projectile is released from O at time t = 0 with speed
U at an angle to the horizontal, its velocity at t = 0 is

v = U cos i+ U sin j.

Using this and substituting t = 0 in equation (2) gives

U cos i+ U sin j= Ai+ ( B g0 ) j,
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Chapter 5 Projectiles

so that

A = U cos ,

B = U sin .

The velocity at time t is then

v=

dr
dt

= U cos i+ (U sin gt ) j.

(3)

Integrating this equation gives

r= (Ut cos + C )i+ Ut sin 1 gt + D j.

2
2

where C and D are constants. When t = 0 , r= Ci+ Dj, and,

since r= 0 when t = 0 , C = D = 0 . This gives

r= Ut cos i+ Ut sin 1 gt j
2
2

(4)

Taking components of equations (3) and (4) gives the basic

results of the model for projectile motion.
Deduction 1

dx
dt
dy
dt

= U cos

(5)

= U sin gt

(6)

x = Ut cos

(7)

y = Ut sin 1 gt 2 .
2

(8)

These equations give the position and velocity of the

projectile at any time. Do they remind you of any equations
you have already met? If so, why do you think this should be?
Equation (5) shows that the horizontal component of velocity,
dx
dt

, is constant throughout the motion.

Could you have predicted this?

114

U sin

U cos

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Activity 4

A first exploration of the model

2
You need a calculator for this activity. Take g = 10 ms .

A tennis ball is given an initial speed of 30 ms1.

Find the horizontal and vertical components of the velocity of
the ball for an angle of projection of 30 to the horizontal at
times in seconds 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0. Find also x and y
at these times.
At what time is the vertical component of velocity zero? How
high has the ball then risen and how far has it travelled
horizontally?
When is the ball again on the same level as its point of
projection? What is the distance R it has then travelled
horizontally and what are its velocity components?
Repeat for angles of projection of 15 , 45 , 60 and 75 .
For which of these angles of projection does the ball travel
furthest? What do the results you obtain for the distance R for
the various angles of projection suggest?

Example
A ball is thrown with a speed of 8 ms1 at an angle of 30 to the
horizontal. How high above its point of projection is it when it
has travelled 2 m horizontally?
Solution
The time for the ball to travel 2 m horizontally is given by
equation (7), x = Ut cos , as
t=

x
U cos

Here x = 2 , U = 8 , = 30 , so that
t=

2
= 0.29s
8 cos 30

Taking g = 10 ms 2 ,

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

the height of the ball above the ground at this time t is given by
equation (8) as
y = U sin t 1 gt 2
2
= 8sin 30 0.29 5 ( 0.29)

0.74 m

Hence height is 0.74 m.

Exercise 5A
1

1. A ball is thrown with initial speed 20 ms at an

angle of 60 to the horizontal. How high does it
rise? How far has it then travelled horizontally?
2. A ball is kicked with speed 25 ms 1 at an angle
of projection of 45 . How high above the ground
is it when it has travelled 10 m horizontally?

5.4

3. An arrow is fired from a bow with a speed of

1

50 ms at an angle of 5 to the horizontal. What

is its speed and the angle its velocity makes with
the horizontal after 0.6 s?

Validating the model

Activity 4 suggests that the model is reproducing at least some

of the main features of projectile motion in a special case. The
projectile ascends then descends and at the same time travels
forward. A more testing validation is to deduce what path the
model says the projectile follows and then test this
experimentally.

The path of the projectile

Activity 5

Plotting the path

You will need graph paper and a calculator or a graphic

calculator for this activity.
(a) For U = 10 ms 1 , = 30 , find the values of x and y at time
intervals of 0.1 s from equations (7) and (8).
(b) Plot the points (x, y) to obtain the path of the projectile.
(c) Repeat for U = 10 ms 1 , = 60 .
You should find that both paths are symmetrical about the
vertical through their highest points.
You will need your plot again in Activity 9.

116

4. A stone is thrown with speed 10 ms at an angle

of projection of 30 from the top of a cliff and
hits the sea 2.5 s later. How high is the cliff?
How far from the base of the cliff does the stone
hit the water?

Chapter 5 Projectiles

The path of a projectile is an example of a curve called a

parabola.
The equation of the path for general values of U and is found
by eliminating the time t between equations (7), x = Ut cos and
(8), y = Ut sin 1 gt .
2
2

From equation (7)

t=

.
U cos
Substituting this into equation (8) gives
x 1 x
g
y = U sin
U cos 2 U cos

Remember sec =

1
cos

or
y = x tan g

sec 2
2U 2

Deduction 2
The path of the projectile is the parabola
y = x tan g

sec 2 2
x .
2U 2

(9)

Example
A jet of water flows from a hosepipe with speed 40 ms 1 at an
angle of 60 to the horizontal. Given that the particles of water
travel as projectiles, find the equation of the path of the jet.
Solution
The equation of the path can be found by substituting U = 40 ,
= 60 , in equations (7) and (8) to give
x = 40 cos 60 t, y = 40 sin 60 t 1 gt 2 ,
2
or

x = 20t ,

y = 20 3 t 5t 2 .

From the first of these equations t =

x
20

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

Substituting this into the second equation gives

x
x
y = 20 3 5
20
20

or
y = 1. 73x 0.0125x .
2

Testing this deduction experimentally

Activity 6

Finding the path of a ball

You need a table, two equal blocks, a billiard or squash ball, a

marker pen, sugar paper, Blu-tak, water and squared paper for
this activity.
Use the blocks to give the table a gentle incline.
Blu-tack the sugar paper to the table.
Practise releasing the ball so that its path lies well on the paper.
A reasonably shallow trajectory as shown in the diagram usually
gives the best results.
Wet the ball and release it.
squaredpaper
graph paper

Mark the track before it dries and cut it out.

y

Put the track on squared paper and insert axes.

Choose some points on the path and write down their
coordinates.
Find the equation of the path that goes through these points.
You can do this with a graphic calculator or a function graph
plotter program.

As it is difficult to plot the path of a ball moving through the air,

a table is used in Activity 6.
The acceleration of the rolling ball is down the table but has a
value less than g. The same model as for motion under gravity
can be used for the motion of the ball on the table with the axes
Ox and Oy along and up the line of greatest slope of the table
-2

and g replaced by a smaller value than 10 ms . In particular,

the model predicts the path of the ball is a parabola.
Is this what you find?
118

O
axis of
symmetry

Chapter 5 Projectiles

The equation you are likely to find is not y = ax bx 2 , the form

of equation (9). This is because the origin and y-axis are
different. It is easier to fit an equation to the path when its axis
of symmetry is the y-axis. An example shows how to go from
one equation to the other.

Example

For U = 2 10 ms 1 , and = 45 , the path of the projectile from

equation (9) is

y = 1 x2 + x .
4
Completing the square on the right gives
y=

1
4

(x

4x

O'
O

= 1 ( x 2) 4 ,
4
2

y
Y
1

( x 2 )2 .

so

y = 1

Setting

X = x 2, Y = y , gives

1
4

Y = 1 1 X2
4
-2

O'

x
X

referred to the axes shown in the diagram.

You should obtain the equation for the trace of the path in this
form, that is, Y = c d X 2 .

*Activity 7 Finding the path of a ball from

photographs
If it is possible to obtain time lapse photos of the motion of a
ball, then these could be made the basis of the validation of the
equation of the path but now with the motion under gravity.

Activity 8
try

Another validation you may like to

You will need a table, two equal blocks, four metre rulers, a
squash ball, Blu-tack, a marker pen and paper for this activity.

Use the blocks to give the table a gentle incline longways.

d

119

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Make a track along the table with the metre rulers as in Galileos
experiment in Chapter 2.
Again, as in Galileos experiment, find the speed of the ball at
the end of the track.
Record this speed.
Find where the ball lands on the floor.
Model the ball as a projectile and from measurements of h and d
calculate its speed of projection on leaving the track.
How does this compare with the speed you found at the end of
the track?

The velocity of the projectile

The speed of the projectile at time t is the magnitude v of its
velocity v, given by
v=

dr
dt

dx
dt

i+

dy

dt

and, since ai+ bj= a 2 + b 2 , this can be written as

1
2

2
dx 2
dy
v = + .
dt dt

The angle the velocity makes with the horizontal is given by

dy
tan =
dt

Activity 9
locity

The direction of the projectiles ve-

dx
dt

and

dy
dt

at time intervals of 0.5 s from equations

(5) and (6).

Calculate the angle the velocity makes with the horizontal at
the points corresponding to these times.

120

(x, y)

dx
.
dt

For U = 10 ms 1 , = 30 , find the values of the velocity

components

Chapter 5 Projectiles

On the plot of the path you drew in Activity 5 indicate the

direction of the velocity at each of these points.
You should confirm that the velocity is along the tangent to the
path.

Do you think that your results from Activities 6 to 9 validate

the projectile motion model? How might the model be
improved?

Example
A stunt motorcyclist takes off at a speed of 35 ms 1 up a ramp
of 30 to the horizontal to clear a river 50 m wide. Does the
cyclist succeed in doing this?
Solution
The cyclist clears the river if the horizontal distance travelled is
greater than 50 m.
To find this distance it is necessary to first find the time of
flight by putting U = 35 , = 30 , y = 0 , in equation (8) with
g = 10 ms 2 .
This gives

0 = 35sin 30 t 5t 2 .
This equation has two solutions t = 0 and t = 7sin 30 = 3.5 s.
The solution t = 0 gives the cyclist's take-off time so the time
of flight is t = 3.5 s .
Substituting U = 35 , = 30, t = 3.5 , in equation (7) gives the
horizontal distance x travelled as

x = 35 cos 30 3.5 = 106 m.

So the cyclist easily clears the river.
0.90 m

Example
1

A tennis player plays a ball with speed 20 ms horizontally

straight down the court from the backline. What is the least
height at which she can play the ball to clear the net? How far
behind the net does the ball land when it is played at this
height?

11.9 m

121

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Solution
The time for the ball to reach the net is given by equation (7) on
substituting x = 11.90 , U = 20 , = 0 , as
t=

x
11.9
=
= 0.595 s .
U cos
20

The distance y below the point of play of the ball after this time
is given by equation (8) on substituting U = 20 , = 0 ,
t = 0.595 s , g = 10 ms 2 as

y = (20 sin )( 0.595) 5( 0.595)

= 1. 77.
To clear the net the ball must be played from a height of at least
1. 77 + 0.90 = 2.67 m .
When played from this height, the ball hits the court when
y = 2.67 . The time t when this happens comes from equation
(8) by substituting y = 2.67 , U = 20 , = 0 , so that

2.67 = 5t 2
which gives t = 0. 73 s .
From equation (7) the horizontal distance x travelled in this time
is
x = 20 0. 73 = 14.56 m .

The ball then lands (14.56 11.90 ) = 2.66 m behind the net.

122

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Exercise 5B
1. David kicks a ball with a speed of 20 ms 1 at an
angle of 30 to the horizontal. How far away
from him does the ball land?

6. A stone is thrown up at an angle of 30 to the

1

horizontal with a speed of 20 ms from the edge

of a cliff 15 m above sea level so that the stone
lands in the sea. Find how long the stone is in
the air and how far from the base of the cliff it
lands. What are the speed and direction of the
stone as it hits the water?

2. In the Pony Club gymkhana Carol wants to

release a ball to drop into a box. The height
above the box from which she drops the ball is
1

1.5 m and the ponys speed is 12 ms . How far

from the box should Carol drop the ball?
3. A bowler releases a cricket ball from a height of
2.25 m above the ground so that initially its path
is level. Find the speed of delivery if it is to hit
the ground a horizontal distance of 16 m from
the point of release.

7. A ball is thrown with speed U at an angle of

projection of 30 . Show that at time t its speed
q is given by

4. Karen is standing 4 m away from a wall which is

1

2.5 m high. She throws a ball at 10 ms at an

angle of 40 to the horizontal at a height of 1 m
above the ground. Will the ball pass over the
wall?

2
2
2 2
q = U Ugt + g t

Find the height y to which it has risen in this

time and hence show that
2
2
q = U 2gy .

Do you think this result holds whatever the angle

of projection?

5. A bushbaby makes hops with a take-off speed of

1

6 ms and angle of 30 . How far does it go in

each hop?

5.5

More deductions from

the model

Activity 4 explores how high the projectile rises and how far it
travels horizontally in particular cases. These questions can,
however, be answered generally.

How high does a projectile rise?

A projectile reaches its maximum height H when its vertical
dy

= 0 . The vertical velocity component at

dt
time t is given by equation (6)

velocity component

dy
dt
Let

dy
dt

U
V

= U sin gt .

= 0 then 0 = U sin gt

which gives
t = (U sin ) / g.

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

Putting y = H and t =

U sin
in equation (8) gives
g
2

U sin 1 U sin
H = U sin .
g
,
g 2 g
so that

H=

U 2 sin 2
2g

This is the same height as that to which a ball thrown vertically

upwards with speed U sin rises.
Deduction 3
The maximum height the projectile reaches above the point
of release is

H=

U 2 sin 2
.
2g

How far does a projectile travel

horizontally?
The horizontal distance the projectile has travelled when it is again
on Ox is called the range and is denoted by R.
The total time of flight T is obtained by putting y = 0 in equation
(8), giving

0 = (U sin )t

1 2
gt
2

or
1

0 = t U sin gt .

This equation has two solutions, t = 0 and t =

2U sin

. The
g
solution t = 0 is the time of projection from the origin 0 so that
t=

2U sin
g

is the time of flight T.

Deduction 4
The time of flight of the projectile is
T=

124

2U sin
g

Chapter 5 Projectiles

This shows the total time of flight is twice the time to the
maximum height.
The horizontal distance travelled at time t is x = Ut cos .
From this equation, the range R is

R = (U cos )T = 2U

sin cos
g

U 2 sin 2
g

(Remember sin2 = 2 sin cos )

Deduction 5
The range of the projectile is

R=

U 2 sin 2
g

For a given speed of projection U the range R is a function of .

It is a maximum, Rmax, when sin 2 = 1 , that is 2 = 90 or = 45 .

R max =

U2
R

The graph of R against shows that for values of R less than

Rmax there are two angles of projection which give the same angle.
One of these, = , is less than 45 and the other, = , greater
than 45 . Since the graph is symmetrical about the line = 45 ,

Uv2
gg

= 90

45

graph range R against

launch angle

Is this what you found in Activity 4?

Activity 10 Maximum ranges in sports

Some typical initial speeds of projectiles in sports are
golf ball
long jumper
rugby and soccer balls
table tennis ball
tennis ball
water polo ball

70
10
30
25
40
15

ms 1
ms 1
ms 1
ms 1
ms 1
ms 1

Find the maximum range for each of these from the projectile
model.

In practice not all the projectiles in Activity 10 attain their

maximum range. Why do you think this might be?
125

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Example
A projectile, given an initial speed of 20 ms 1 , travels a horizontal
distance 30 m. What are its possible angles of projection?
Solution
The time of flight is first found from equation (8); equation (7)
then gives the angle of projection .
Putting y = 0 , U = 20 , in equation (8) gives
2
0 = 20 sin t 5t ,

which has solutions t = 0 and t = 4 sin . The time of flight is then

t = 4 sin . Substituting x = 30 , U = 20 , t = 4 sin , in the equation
for x gives
30 = ( 20 cos )( 4 sin )

or
0. 75 = 2 sin cos

so that
sin 2 = 0. 75

and hence

= 24.3 or 65. 7 .

Example
A tennis player makes a return at a speed of 15 ms 1 and at a
height of 3 m to land in the court at a horizontal distance of 12 m
from her. What are the possible angles of projection of the ball?
Solution
Let the ball travel a time t before hitting the court, the angle of
projection.
The horizontal distance, x = 12 , travelled in this time is given by
x = Ut cos with U = 15 as
12 = 15t cos ,

so that
t=

4
.
5 cos

When the ball hits the court, y = 3 , so the equation of the path
gives
3 = 15sin t 5t 2 .
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Chapter 5 Projectiles

Substituting for t gives

2

4
3 = 12 tan 5
,
5 cos

Remember sec =

1
cos

or
3 = 12 tan

16
5

sec 2 .

This gives

16
1 + tan 2 12 tan 3 = 0
5

Remember sec 2 = 1 + tan 2

or
tan 2

15
4

tan +

1
16

=0 .

Solving this quadratic in tan gives

15
221

16 = 15 221
tan = 4
2
8

which gives = 1.0 or 75.0 .

The most likely angle of projection is 1.0 since the other angle
would give the players opponent great scope for return.

Exercise 5C
1

1. A ball is thrown with a speed of 12 ms at an

angle of 30 to the horizontal. Find the
maximum height to which it rises, the time of
flight and the range. Find also the speed and
direction of flight of the ball after 0.5 s and
1.0 s.
1

2. The initial speed of a projectile is 20 ms . Find

the two angles of projection which give a range
of 30 m and the times of flight for each of these
angles. What is the maximum range that can be
achieved?
3. A projectile has range 100 m and reaches a
maximum height of 20 m. What is its initial
speed and angle of projection?
4. What is the least speed of projection with which
a projectile can achieve a range of 90 m? What
is the time of flight for this speed?

5. Robin Hood shoots an arrow with a speed of

1

60 ms to hit a mark on a tree 60 m from him

and at the same level as the arrow is released
from. What are his possible angles of projection
and which one is he likely to choose?
6. A locust can make long jumps of 0.7 m at a takeoff angle of 55 . Use the projectile model to find
its take-off speed and the maximum height it
reaches. (The take-off speed of locusts is
observed to be about 3.4 ms 1 , which is higher
than the value found using the projectile model.
Why do you think this should be?).
7. A ball is thrown so that it goes as high as it goes
forward. At what angle is it thrown?
8. A ball is thrown from a point O with speed
10 ms 1 at an angle to the horizontal. Show
that, if it returns to the ground again at a distance
from O greater than 5 m, then lies between 15
and 75 whilst the time of flight is between 0.52
s and 1.93 s.

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

5.6

Using the model

You may like to try some of the following investigations which

give you a chance to use the projectile model in some real
situations.

Activity 11

Accident!

Police Accident Investigation Units use the projectile model to

estimate speeds of vehicles involved in accidents as in this
hypothetical case.
A builders van collides with a low stone wall. Several lengths
of timber fastened longitudinally to the roof of the van 1.8 m
above the ground are projected forwards over the wall to land
sticking in a muddy patch of field 9 m in front of the roof. At
the same time the windscreen shatters and the bulk of the glass
is found in the field beyond the wall between 23 m and 27 m in
front of the windscreen.
The Accident Investigation Unit want the likely range of speeds
for the car when it struck the wall. Use the projectile model to
obtain estimates for this range. You should take into account
that these estimates may need to be defended in court.
What might affect the reliability of your estimates?

Activity 12 Making a basketball shot

Susan wants to make a clean shot, one that passes through the
basket without hitting the rim or bouncing off the backboard.
5m

She can give the ball a speed of projection of 8 ms 1 .

3m

2.1 m

Treat both the basket and the ball as points.

Investigate the angle of projection that puts the ball into the
basket and the corresponding angle of entry.
What angle of projection should Susan aim for?
In reality the basket has a diameter of 0.45 m and the ball a
diameter of 0.24 m.
Investigate how much margin Susan has on her preferred angle
of projection.

128

vertical

ball's
path

angle of
entry
basket

Chapter 5 Projectiles

Activity 13 How to improve at shot putting

Coaches often concentrate on improving the speed at which a
putter projects the shot rather than the angle. Why?
Choose a value for , say = 45 , the angle for maximum range
and a value for U, a reasonable one being U = 12 ms 1 . (The
height from which the shot is projected is ignored for simplicity)
Investigate the percentage changes in the range R for changes in
U, say 5, 10, 15, 20% increases.
For a given U, again, say U = 12 ms 1 , choose values of less
and greater than 45 , say = 42 and = 48 , and find the
percentage changes in R for changes in U about these values.

What conclusions do you reach?

A putter releases the shot at some height above the ground. The
range R is measured along the ground.

Investigate numerically how R varies with different heights h of

projection and what angles give the maximum range for different
h. Typical values of h are around 2 m.
Does a tall shot putter have an advantage over a short one?

5.7

Miscellaneous Exercises

1. Rashid is standing 4 m away from a wall which is

1

5 m high. He throws a ball at 10 ms at an

elevation of 40 above the horizontal and at a
height of 1 m above the ground. Will the ball pass
over the wall?
If he throws at an angle , show that must
satisfy
1
1
tan 2 < < tan 3

for the ball to clear the wall.

2. A particle is projected with speed U at an angle
to the horizontal. Show that its velocity at the
point (x, y) on its path makes an angle with the
horizontal, where
tan =

2y
x

3. One of the Egyptian

pyramids is 130 m high
and the length of each
side of its square base is
250 m. Is it possible to
throw a stone with
initial speed 25 ms 1
from the top of the
pyramid so that it
strikes the ground
beyond the base?

tan .

1
For U = 10 ms , = 45 , show that

y = x 0.1x .
2

Hence graph against x for x at intervals of

0.5 m. What do you deduce about ?

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

4. A ball is projected with speed U at an angle to

the horizontal up the line of greatest slope of a
plane inclined at an angle ( < ) to the
horizontal. The ball strikes the plane again at a
distance R from the point of projection. Show
that
R=

2
2U sin ( ) cos

g cos 2

Julie

Diana

Show that at any time t the tangent of the angle

of elevation of the ball relative to Diana, i.e. the
angle with the horizontal made by the line
joining the balls position at time t to the point
where Diana catches it, is given by

Hence show that the maximum range up the plane

is
U

time t

6. Julie throws a ball with speed U at an angle to

the horizontal. Diana, who is at a distance R
from Julie, catches the ball at the same height
above the ground as Julie throws it.

gt
2U cos
1

g(1 + sin )

and is achieved for an angle of projection which

bisects the angle between the line of greatest
slope of the plane and the vertical through the
point of projection.
5. A shot putter can release the shot at a height H
above the ground with speed U.

7. A stone is thrown with speed 15 ms from a

cliff 40 m high to land in the sea at a distance of
30 m from the cliff. Show that there are two
possible angles of projection and that they make
a right angle.
1

8. Stones are thrown with speed 15 ms to clear a

wall of height 5 m at a distance of 15 m from the
point of projection. Show that no stone can land
behind the wall within a distance of 3 m.
9. A fireman is directing water into a window at a
height of 10 m above the ground. Because of the
heat he wants to stand as far back from the
window as possible. The speed with which the

water leaves the hose is 50 ms . How far back

can he stand?
R
Show that, when the shot is projected at an angle
to the horizontal, it hits the ground at a
horizontal distance R from the point of
projection, where R is given by
R tan g

sec + H = 0 .
2

Show that R has a maximum as a function of

when
tan =

Hence show the maximum range is

U
g

130

(U

+ 2gh

7
ground with speed 50 ms 1 at an angle sin 1
25
(a) the height of P at the point where its
horizontal displacement from 0 is 120 m,
(b) the speed of P two seconds after projection,
(c) the times after projection at which P is

1
moving at an angle of tan 1 to the
4
ground.

gR

A particle P is projected from a point O on level

above the horizontal. Find

R2
2U

10. (In this question you should assume g is 9.8 ms 2 )

1
2

(AEB)

Chapter 5 Projectiles

11. (In this question you should assume g = 9.8 ms 2 )

At time t = 0 a particle is projected from a point
O with speed 49 ms 1 and in a direction which
makes an acute angle with the horizontal
plane through O. Find, in terms of , an
expression for R, the horizontal range of the
particle from O.
The particle also reaches a height of 9.8 m above
the horizontal plane through O at times t 1
seconds and t 2 seconds. Find, in terms of ,
expressions for t 1 and t 2 .
Given that t 2 t1 = 17 seconds, find .
Hence show that R =

245 3
.
2

(AEB)
15. A particle is projected at time t = 0 with speed
49 ms 1 at an angle above the horizontal. The
horizontal and vertical displacements from 0, the
point of projection, at time t are x m and y m
respectively. Obtain x and y in terms of , g and
t and hence deduce that, when x = 140 and
Find the numerical values of the constants a and
b so that this equation can be re-written as

12. A particle P is projected at time t = 0 in a

vertical plane from a point O with speed u at an
angle above the horizontal. Obtain
expressions for the horizontal and vertical
components of
(a) the velocity of P at time t;
(b) the displacement, at time t, of P from O.
Given that the particle strikes the horizontal
plane through O at time T show that
2usin
.
g

Find, in terms of g and T, the maximum height

that P rises above the horizontal plane through
O.
Given also that, at time

Find also the value of tan so that A coincides

with C.

g = 9.8 ms 2 , y = 140 tan 40(1 + tan 2 ) .

(AEB)

T=

A second particle Q is projected from O with

speed v in the direction OB and lands on the
plane at C. Find OC.

y = a 40(tan b) 2 .
The particle has to pass over a wall 20 m high at
x = 140 , find
(a) the value of tan such that the particle has
the greatest clearance above the wall,
(b) the two values of tan for which the particle
just clears the wall.
(AEB)
16. Unit vectors i and j are defined with i horizontal
and j vertically upwards. At time t = 0 a particle
P is projected from a fixed origin O with velocity
nu(3i+ 5j , where n and u are positive constants.
)
At the same instant a particle Q is projected from

the point A, where OA = a(16i+ 17 j with a being

)

)
a positive constant, with velocity u(4i+ 3j .

3T
, the particle is
4

moving at right angles to its initial direction,

find tan .
(AEB)
13. A particle projected from a point O on level
ground first strikes the ground again at a
distance 4a from O after time T. Find the
horizontal and vertical components of its initial
velocity.
(AEB)
14. A particle P is projected from a point O on a
horizontal plane with speed v in the direction
making an angle above the horizontal.
Assuming that the only force acting is that due to
gravity, write down expressions for the
horizontal and vertical displacements of P from
O at a time t after projection. Given that P lands
on the horizontal plane at the point A, show that

(a) Find the velocity of P at time t in terms of n,

u, g and t. Show also that the velocity of P
relative to Q is constant and express it in the
form pi+ qj.
(b) Find the value of n such that P and Q collide.
(c) Given that P and Q do not collide and that Q
is at its maximum height above A when at a
point B, find, in terms of u and g, the
horizontal and vertical displacements of B
from A.
(AEB)

OA = 2v 2 sin cos / g.
Find the height above the plane of the highest
point B of the path of P.

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Chapter 5 Projectiles

132