| 1) What is the path of a projectile called? |
| The path
of a projectile is called a trajectory. |
| |
| 2) Does a projectile have a horizontal acceleration? How do you know? |
| A projectile has
a zero horizontal acceleration which is evident by comparing the size
of the horizontal |
| spacing between
consecutive points of the same trajectory. |
| |
| 3) What generalizations can be made about the two paths generated by
complimentary angles? |
| By comparing
the two trajectories for 75° and 15°, the trajectory at 75°
has a: |
| |
- greater vertical velocity
|
|
|
- smaller horizontal velocity
|
| However, the range
is the same for both projectiles. |
| |
| 4) At what point of its trajectory does a projectile have its minimum
speed? Support your answer. |
| At the highest
point where the horizontal velocity, vH, is equal to the initial
horizontal velocity and the |
| instantaneous
vertical velocity equals zero. |
| |
| 5) For a given velocity, what angle provides the largest range? Why? |
| 45°
provides the maximum range because the sin 45°
and the cos 45° are equal. |
| |
| 6) How do the initial and final horizontal velocities of the projectile
compare? Justify your answer. |
| The initial and
final horizontal velocities of a projectile are equal in the absence of
air resistance. According |
| to Newton's 1st
law, an object maintains its present state of motion when the net force
is zero. |