Lab 12: Computer Simulations of Projectile Motion

Go to www.portaportal.com, and visit landersen to find the hyperlinks for the websites in

this activity. Go to the “Shoot the Cannon” link on the Projectile Motion Menu

Part A: Launch the Pumpkin (or any of the other choices, it matters not)

Launch the pumpkin for each of the following sets of conditions. For each launch, guess

where the pumpkin will land. Move the target to that spot before you launch. See how well

you do! Record the range and time from the white boxes at the top of the screen. Use the

measuring tape at the bottom of the screen to measure the peak height. Complete the

table below:

10 °

30 °

45 °

60 °

80 °

Initial speed (m/s)

15

15

15

15

15

Range (m)

Peak Height (m)

Time (s)

1.

What angle of launch produced the largest range? Why do you think this occurred?

(Hint: think about the components of the initial velocity)

2. What observation can you make about the ranges for complementary launch angles?

(Complementary angles are angles that add to 90 degrees.)

3. For what angle of launch does the pumpkin spend the longest time in the air?

4. For what angle of launch does the pumpkin go the highest into the air? Do you think

that the maximum height is related to the time in the air? Explain why or why not.

5. Can the pumpkin go further horizontally in less time if the angle of launch is smaller (for

the same initial speed)? Explain using your data.

6. What happens to the path of the projectile if air resistance (drag) is turned on? Draw

an example.

7. How does mass affect the range of the projectile. Try it and summarize your findings.

Summary of Projectile Motion Facts:

1.

The angle that produces the largest range is _______________.

2. ___________________ angles have the same range.

3. ______________ is not a factor in how far a projectile will travel.

4. When comparing two projectiles, the projectile that has the largest ___________

will spend the longest time in the air, regardless of how far the projectile goes in

the horizontal direction.

5. Introducing air resistance causes the range to __________________.

Extra Credit “The Monkey and the Zookeeper”

Go to http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/vectors/mzg.html

Suppose the zookeeper must shoot a

banana from the banana cannon to the

monkey who hangs from the limb of a

tree. The particular monkey has a habit

of dropping from the tree the moment

that the banana leaves the muzzle of the

cannon. The zookeeper is faced with the

dilemma of where to aim the cannon in

order to hit the monkey. Where do you

think he must aim?

Look at the animations on the website and

see if your prediction is true. Explain the

results on a separate sheet of paper.