Projectile Motion

Evidence of Work:

The questioned our group asked during this lab was how are you are able to predict the change of horizontal distance of a projectile launched off a downward ramp with an upward ramp at the end. We were taught that we can do this when we are given a certain height. We first were told what options we had and we chose the more difficult ones due to the fact that there are vertical and horizontal components in our objects motion due to the inclined slope at the end of our ramp. We took data (can be found in projectile motion lab write up seen above) in order to find components of our experiment such as velocity that were previously unknown. We then used a certain equation (can also be seen in the lab write up found above) for initial velocity. After we found initial velocity we were ready to plug into our equation and solve for the only variable left (Change in Vertical Displacement). We then were able to answer our original question of how are you able to predict the change in horizontal distance of a projectile launched off a downward ramp. That is because we were introduced to the equations.

Our claim of our lab was, when we are given the horizontal exit velocity and the height of the fall we are able to predict the horizontal distance that the car travels within plus or minus 14 cm of the center of the landing pad. Our group used a hot wheels track as a ramp. We then used a meter stick to prop up the ramp. The top of the ramp is at 60cm. We used physics textbooks to hold the meter stick generally in place. We then used another meter stick to measure out the horizontal distance of the ramp (95 cm). We then placed a binder with a 12 degree angle and a height of 9 cm at the end of the track and put the end of the ramp going up that binder. We then dropped a hot wheel at four different distances and recorded the time on ramp and distance traveled after the launch of the car. We are then given a certain table height that we have to place our ramp on. With this table height we are required to estimate the horizontal change in distance from the end of the ramp. We then used the equation provided by Mr. Williams to predict the change in horizontal distance of a variable height using the unknown variables that we solved for (Vertical Velocity Initial and Horizontal Velocity). The height we chose to base the calculations off of was 0.6 meters. Our average landing distance for 0.6 m was 1.08 ranging in horizontal distance from 1 to 1.15 meters. Our initial vertical velocity was 0.44 meters. The height of the variable height Mr. Williams gave us is 1.256 meters. Using all of these numbers we calculated that the estimated horizontal velocity was within plus or minus 14 cm of 1.15m. The actual change in horizontal distance was 1.29 meters. All of the equations used for these calculations can be found above.

Reflection:

One thing I think I learned about myself during the first semester of AP Physics is that I need to take good notes that I can comprehend later or I won't remember the content. I think this is because it reinforces it because I am taking more time to look over the content and I also have examples of each concept if I take thorough enough notes. Another thing I learned about myself is that I like to take control in groups. This can be a good thing but can also be a problem. Both of these concepts are what I would like to keep working on. I would like to further improve my note-taking skill and I would also like to try to take a little less control during group work and give the others a chance to share their ideas. The control aspect relates to consciousness learning because I am thinking about how my groups mates may feel.