Name ________________________________________________________

Date _______________________

PhET Vector and Projectile Motion Inquiry Activity

Introduction – You will use a computer simulation today to reinforce your ideas of
vectors, acceleration and velocity. You will also start to investigate what projectile
motion is. Since this is “inquiry based”, you’re not supposed to know everything going
in, but learn as we walk through the lesson. You must read all instructions carefully
to get full credit. Let’s get started!

Website : [Link]

Click on the “play” icon, then double click on “Vectors”

Initial setup and explanation

You’ll see a cannon on the left of your screen. To fire the cannon, click the red button at
the bottom of the screen. To reset the cannon, click the yellow “erase” button at the
bottom of the screen.

You can change the angle of the cannon, and adjust its initial speed. We’ll get to this in
a few minutes.

Initial setup and investigating gravity

1. Uncheck the “air resistance box”. Set the following: diameter = 0.8m, mass 5
kg, initial speed = 18 m/s and the cannon angle = 45º. Click the “slow” button at
the bottom to watch the simulation more carefully.

2. Click the box that says “acceleration vectors”

3. Fire the cannon. You will see the cannonball leave the cannon, with an
acceleration vector.

4. What is the direction of the vector?

5. What does this vector represent?

6. What do you observe about the length of the vector throughout its flight?

7. What does this tell you about the direction and magnitude of the acceleration
acting on the cannonball throughout its duration of flight?

8. What do you predict will happen to the acceleration vector if we change the angle
of the cannon? Why do you think that?

Change the angle of the cannon to 65º. Fire the cannon at this new angle. Keep
everything else the same. (Remember, click on the “slow” button to slow the
simulation down)

9. What did you notice about the acceleration vector at this new angle?

10. What was different about the vector (if anything) compared to the 45º angle.
Move the cannon back to 45º if you need to check or verify
11. Was your prediction correct about the acceleration vector at this new angle?

Change the angle of the cannon to 90º. Fire the cannon at this new angle. Keep
everything else the same. (Remember, click on the “slow” button to slow the
simulation down)

12. What did you notice about the acceleration vector at this new angle?

13. What was different about the vector (if anything) compared to the 45º or 60º
angle? Move the cannon back to 45º or 60º if you need to check or verify
anything.

14. Summary: What have you discovered about the acceleration due to gravity of an
object in flight with regards to the angle of launch?
Change the angle of the cannon to 45º. Click the “slow” button. Fire the cannon and
observe the acceleration vector. Now change the initial launch speed to 25 m/s. Fire
the cannon again.

15. What did you observe about the acceleration vector when you fired it at the new
speed? Was it any different from the initial speed?

Click the yellow erase button and unclick the acceleration vectors box. Click the
“velocity vectors” box. Click on “components” just above it. This will track velocity in
both the x and y directions.

Set the cannon to 60º and the initial velocity to 15 m/s. Click “slow” if you haven’t
already. Fire the cannon. Click erase and fire multiple times if necessary.

16. What do you notice about the velocity vector in the y direction? Describe what
happens to its length and direction throughout the flight? Be specific

17. At what point does it seem like there is no velocity vector in the y direction?
 18. Describe in your own words what is happening to the velocity in the y direction as
the cannonball leaves the cannon and flies through the air.

19. What do you notice about the velocity in the x direction?

20. Why do you think this isn’t changing? (Hint: What is affecting the velocity in the y
direction, but not the x direction?)

Predicting and calculating

Imagine a cannon was shooting at an initial velocity of 20 m/s at 75º above the
horizontal. We are going to predict its range and check with the simulation.

Draw the scenario below:

Using the sin and cosine functions, calculate Vx and Vy. Show all work

We will use the following formula to calculate the time to the top of the flight path:

vf = vy + at

Since at the top of the flight, the Vf = 0, we have

0 = vy + at

-vy = at

t = - (Vy / a) (Remember, a = -9.81 m/s2)

Using the bold formula above, acceleration due to gravity = -9.81 m/s2, and your vy that
you calculated above, solve for (t). Show all work.

The value you just solved for is half of the time the ball is in the air. (Remember, it’s just
to the top of the flight path). So take your time and double it. Show below:
Now, you solved for the total time in flight. Next, we’ll solve for distance in the x
direction. We’ll use the following formula:

v x = dx / t

Rearranging for distance we get:

dx = v x * t

Using your vx that you calculated above, and the TOTAL flight time (the one you
doubled), calculate the distance in the x direction. Show work below:

Checking your prediction:

Set the cannon up to 20 m/s at 75º. Move the red and white target to your predicted
distance in the x direction. Fire the cannon.

Did you hit the target?

Complete the calculations again using an initial launch speed of 30 m/s and an initial
launch angle of 85º. Check your results with the simulation. Show all work below