projectile
Projectiles: Horizontal Distance as a function of height of launch
Project #2635 on iSENSEProject.org
PROJECTILES LAB III: Exploring the relationship between height and horizontal displacement of a projectile launched horizontally.
QUESTION:
How does the height of a projectile launched horizontally affect the horizontal distance the projectile travels?
THE LAB:
During this lab, you will collect data that will help you to determine whether there is any relationship between the height of launch and the horizontal distance a projectile travels.
To explore the question, you will need:
1 marble launcher with adjustable angle muzzle and protractor
1 ball bearing
Masking tape
1 table
1 adjustable chair
2 meter sticks
Goggles for each member of each lab group
Directions:
SAFETY: Goggles MUST be worn at all times. Anyone not wearing goggles will receive no credit for the lab. NEVER point the launcher, loaded or un-loaded, towards anyone, towards a window, or towards yourself. Keep your mouths shut--a flying or bouncing ball bearing against a tooth equals a broken tooth and lots of fun at the dentist's office. Do not pull the spring beyond the second notch until you are told to do so.
Procedure:
Assemble the launcher. Place the launcher on the floor, and point it to a place in the room where the ball bearings can travel down a row between tables. Measure the height of the muzzle of the launcher above the floor.
Set the launcher to 0 degrees (horizontal).
Place a ball bearing in the muzzle. (If the ball bearing falls out, you may need to set the launcher to 1 degree or so to keep the ball from falling out).
Cock the launcher to the second notch--the one that gives the second least tension on the spring.
Wearing goggles at all times, fire the ball bearing across the floor and place a piece of masking tape where the ball-bearing lands. Repeat 9 times, so that you get 10 measurements for two notches at that height. Measure the horizontal distance from the muzzle of the launcher to the pieces of masking tape and record.
Now get a chair and set it to the lowest setting. Place a mini-whiteboard on it and place the launcher on top. Measure the height of the muzzle above the floor. Fire the ball bearings as before, getting 10 pieces of tape on the floor and then measuring their horizontal distances from the ‘business’ end of the muzzle.
Now raise the chair to the highest setting and get 10 more horizontal distance readings.
Finally, place the launcher on a lab table and get 10 more readings.
For all launches, use 2 notches as your setting.
DIVISION OF LABOR: One group member runs the gun. A second group member watches where the ball bearings land and marks the spot of each impact with masking tape. The third member stops the ball and returns it to the gunman. When all shots for a given height have been fired, the gun operator measures with the meter stick; the 'fielder' records the data on the data sheet, and the spotter and tape person removes each piece of tape once the measure has been made and recorded.
Record all values on the data sheet and take the average of the 10 shots for each height.
When done, enter your data manually to iSENSE when instructed.
Visualize with angle on the horizontal axis and see if you can determine a pattern. Be prepared to discuss the results when you can see how other groups did for data.
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Trial1 (cm)
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Trial2 (cm)
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Trial3 (cm)
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Trial4 (cm)
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Trial5 (cm)
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Trial6 (cm)
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Trial7 (cm)
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Trial8 (cm)
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Trial9 (cm)
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Trial10 (cm)
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Average (cm)
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Height = ___m. |
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Height = ___m. |
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Height = ___m. |
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Height = ___m. |
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Questions:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1) <!--[endif]--> As your height increases, what happens to how far, horizontally, the balls go? Is there any pattern or relationship between height and horizontal distance?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2) <!--[endif]-->As the height doubles, does the horizontal distance double, or does something else happen?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3) <!--[endif]-->How much higher than the lowest height do you have to go for the horizontal distance to double?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4) <!--[endif]-->Can you account for the relationship between distance and height?
Were there any difficulties with obtaining or making sense of the data? Consider the consistency of how hard the gun fired, seeing where the ball bearings landed, and making the measurements with the meter sticks.
Do you have a hypothesis to suggest? If you had the time, how would you test the hypothesis and why?
| Name | Units | Type of Data |
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AVERAGE Horizontal distance of shot
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cm
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Number
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Height of launch
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cm
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Number
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| AVERAGE Horizontal distance of shot | Height of launch |