PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion

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published by the Physics Education Technology Project

In this simulation, students can fire various objects out of a cannon, including a golf ball, football, pumpkin, human being, a piano, and a car. By manipulating angle, initial speed, mass, and air resistance, concepts of projectile motion come to light in a fun and game-like environment. Can you set the initial conditions so that you hit the target?

This item is part of a larger collection of interactive simulations developed by the Physics Education Technology project (PhET), all freely available from the PhET web site for incorporation into classes.

Editor's Note: See Related Materials for editor-recommended lessons to accompany this simulation. The first, "Air Resistance Lesson", is appropriate for middle school and includes scripted teacher discussion, content support, vocabulary lists, and modifiable worksheets. The second and third were developed for high school use and introduce basic trajectory and gravity with air resistance. All three lessons help learners stay on track as they use the PhET Projectile Motion simulation.

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Classical Mechanics - Applications of Newton's Laws - Motion in Two Dimensions = Projectile Motion	- High School - Lower Undergraduate - Middle School	- Instructional Material = Activity = Interactive Simulation

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science - Physics First - Conceptual Physics - Algebra-based Physics - AP Physics	- Activity - New teachers	Currently 4.7/5 Rated 4.7 stars by 3 people Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Learner
Educator
Format:: application/flash
Mirror:: http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/pro…
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: Additional information is available.
Keywords:: 2d motion, acceleration, ballistic motion, gravity, interactive multimedia, kinematics, projectile motion
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created April 7, 2006 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: September 20, 2012 by Caroline Hall
Last Update when Cataloged:: March 3, 2006
Other Collections:: The PSRC

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Useful

Author: Jennifer Broekman
Posted: January 20, 2008 at 1:44PM

But perhaps more useful if there were a numerical way to edit the firing angle.

» reply

Job well done

Author: Alex Ojinta
Posted: February 2, 2011 at 9:53PM
Source: The PSRC collection

Really apreciate its helps in explainig diagramaticaly

» reply

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

4. The Physical Setting

4F. Motion

6-8: 4F/M3a. An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or direction of motion, or both.
9-12: 4F/H1. The change in motion (direction or speed) of an object is proportional to the applied force and inversely proportional to the mass.
9-12: 4F/H8. Any object maintains a constant speed and direction of motion unless an unbalanced outside force acts on it.

11. Common Themes

11B. Models

6-8: 11B/M1. Models are often used to think about processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly. They are also used for processes that are too vast, too complex, or too dangerous to study.
9-12: 11B/H1a. A mathematical model uses rules and relationships to describe and predict objects and events in the real world.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Alignments

Standards for Mathematical Practice (K-12)

MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

High School — Algebra (9-12)

Seeing Structure in Expressions (9-12)

A-SSE.1.b Interpret complicated expressions by viewing one or more of their parts as a single entity.

High School — Functions (9-12)

Linear, Quadratic, and Exponential Models^? (9-12)

F-LE.2 Construct linear and exponential functions, including arithmetic and geometric sequences, given a graph, a description of a relationship, or two input-output pairs (include reading these from a table).

This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.

Topic: Kinematics: The Physics of Motion
Unit Title: Motion in More Than One Dimension

Students can have fun exploring projectile motion as they interactively fire objects of varying mass from a cannon. Users may set initial velocity, angle, and air resistance. This resource would be teamed well with the Physics Classroom student tutorial on projectile motion (below).

Link to Unit:

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Record Link

<a href="http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=3490">Physics Education Technology Project. PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion. Boulder: Physics Education Technology Project, March 3, 2006.</a>

AIP Format

PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion (Physics Education Technology Project, Boulder), WWW Document, (http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion).

AJP/PRST-PER

PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion (Physics Education Technology Project, Boulder), <http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion>.

APA Format

PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion. (2006, March 3). Retrieved May 25, 2013, from Physics Education Technology Project: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion

Chicago Format

Physics Education Technology Project. PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion. Boulder: Physics Education Technology Project, March 3, 2006. http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion (accessed 25 May 2013).

MLA Format

PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion. Boulder: Physics Education Technology Project. 3 Mar. 2006. 25 May 2013 <http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion}, Publisher = {Physics Education Technology Project}, Volume = {2013}, Number = {25 May 2013}, Month = {March 3, 2006}, Year = {} }

Refer Export Format

%T PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion
%D March 3, 2006
%I Physics Education Technology Project
%C Boulder
%U http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion
%O application/flash

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source
%D March 3, 2006
%T PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion
%I Physics Education Technology Project
%V 2013
%N 25 May 2013
%8 March 3, 2006
%9 application/flash
%U http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion

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PhET Simulation: Projectile Motion:

Accompanies PhET Teacher Activities: Air Resistance Lesson

A comprehensive lesson with scripted teacher discussion and student worksheets, developed for use in Grades 8-9 specifically to accompany the PhET simulation Projectile Motion.

relation by Caroline Hall

Accompanies PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion Investigation

A PBL (Problem-Based Learning) activity for conceptual physics that asks learners to take the role of artillery sergeants to prepare a report on the factors influencing the path of a projectile fired from a cannon.

relation by Caroline Hall

Accompanies PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance

A context-rich activity for Grades 8-10 explores the effects of air resistance and gravity on the motion of a projectile.

relation by Caroline Hall

Is Part Of PhET: Physics Education Technology

Is a Student Extra Of Physics Classroom: Describing Projectiles With Numbers: Horizontal and Vertical Displacement

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