Projectile Launch

Projectile Launch lets students fire a projectile and compare the real flight with the ideal parabola drawn as a dashed curve. Controls are launch angle, launch speed, gravity from 1.6 to 20 meters per second squared and an air drag toggle, plus a Fire again button. Readouts give range, maximum height and flight time as actual and vacuum values. It supports lessons on the equations of projectile motion, the 45 degree rule and why drag shortens flights and lowers the best angle.

• Set drag off and find the angle that gives the longest Range.
• Turn Air drag on and compare Range actual with the vacuum value.
• Lower Gravity to 1.6 m/s² and see what happens to flight time and height.
• Fire at 30 and 60 degrees with the same speed and compare the two ranges.
• Press Fire again to repeat a shot and check the readouts match your prediction.

1. 1Predict range and peak height using v squared times sin 2 theta over g.
2. 2Explain why complementary angles give equal range without drag.
3. 3Describe how air drag changes the path and the best launch angle.
4. 4Compare projectile motion on worlds with different gravity.

Questions teachers ask