Projectile Motion Lab

Projectile Motion This lab uses the Projectile Motion simulation Learning Goals: Students will be able to ● Predict how varying initial conditions affect a projectile path ● Use reasoning to explain the predictions. ● Explain projectile motion terms in their own words. ● Describe why using the simulation is a good method for studying projectiles. Everyday Physics in your life: 1. As you get ready for bed, you roll up one of your socks into a tight ball and toss it into the laundry basket across the room. Then, you try to toss the other sock without rolling it up.. What affects whether or not your socks land in the basket? Air resistance, velocity, angle Develop your understanding: 2. Use the Intro screen to test your ideas about the things that affect the landing location of a projectile. a. Make a complete list of things that affect the landing site of a projectile including your ideas from question #1 and any discoveries you made using the simulation. Initial speed, angle, height,weight b. Next to each item, briefly explain why you think the landing location changes. page1 Affect Projectile Landing Explanation Initial speed affect how far it will go angle affects height, distance, and how long until it starts to come down height affected how long it takes to reach the ground weight the higher the weight the higher the speed would need to be to compensate 3. What is meant by the expression “flight path of a projectile”? Draw the flight path of your socks and describe the shape. Use the simulation to investigate how the items you listed in #2 affect the shape of the flight path. Summarize your discoveries including explanations for the different flight paths. The flight path of the projectile is the arch in which it moves through the air. Initial speed makes the projectile go straight for longer. The angle affects the beginning line of the flight path. The angle and speed work together to shape the arch when the sock begins to go down. The weight affects the speed and the height just affects the starting height and how much farther down the object can go. 4. Suppose your friend asks you to tell them about projectiles. You start to explain, but she interrupts. “Wait,” she says, “You’re using a lot of words I don’t understand. Can you explain in English?” Knowing that a picture is worth a thousand words, you draw a picture of a projectile path and label all the terms that are on the simulation page. Draw a picture like you would for your friend and write what you would tell her about the terms. Insert an image of your drawing if you can. page2 5. Describe in your own words why using the simulation is a good method for studying projectiles. Include the error sources the simulation eliminates (or minimizes) and what representations the simulation provides that are helpful. The simulation helps you see higher numbers and it eliminates the human error in both measuring and angle. makes it so you don't have to worry about the wind page3 Expand your understanding: 6. Use the Lab screen to expand your ideas about what affects the landing location and path of a projectile. List any discoveries you made to identify additional things that affect the landing site of a projectile and/or path of a projectile. Next to each item, briefly explain why you think the motion of the projectile is affected.. Discoveries Explanation The mass alone does not affect the arch with the same setting a golf ball and car have the same arch The air resistance alone does not affect the arch. The diameter actually has a lot more effect on it when only the air resistance the arch remains the same. When changing the diameter however the arch had a significant change Shooting a ball up and at a diagonal is about a 3:2 air ratio when shooting at 90 deg and 45 deg the times were 1.5s and 1s I tried again with different initial speed and got .9 and .6 7. Compare your everyday experiences to the simulation. Design a few tests like rolling things off a table or tossing some things into a basket or bowl to determine how well the simulation represents projectile motion. Some good objects are tightly rolled socks or paper crumpled into a ball.Write about your experiments and compare them to the simulation. I think the simulation does a really good job of representing real life tests with more, page4 Test your understanding and self check: For each question, predict your answer and support your answer with an explanation. Then use the Lab screen to verify and add screen captures to your explanation. 1. Prediction and explanation with support B has less of an angle meaning it will travel a farther disctance 2. Prediction and explanation with support A will spend more time in the air because it will take longer to come to a stop and reacelirate to go down page5 3. Prediction and explanation with support A has a higher angle and will have a higher peak 4. Prediction and explanation with support B the tank shell has a smaller mass and will be less affected by the gravity X they went the same distance because of a lack of air resistance page6 5. Prediction and explanation with support B the car will be more affected by air resistance X They have the same arch 6. Prediction and explanation with support C they have the same arch page7