In this unit we will describe how things move in two dimensions. Our tool will be vector operations, which will allow us to examine displacement, velocity, and acceleration of objects moving in a plane. Our exemplar will be projectile motion.

RESOURCES FOR THIS UNIT:

• Guided Notes
• Lab – Upwardly-Launched Projectiles

Footballs are designed to cut through air resistance as much as possible so that they can travel in a parabolic path known as a projectile. Will a football filled with helium fly farther than one filled with normal air? The Mythbusters put it to the test! Click the image to find the answer.

Full teacher notes available by request via email to [email protected]
from an official educational institution email address.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

• Vector practice (Keep hitting “next” after each page. This is a very helpful site.)
• Projectiles (Same comment. The first page has a lot of text on it. Don’t be overwhelmed. Stick with it and keep hitting “next.”)
• This is a nice, simple animation of the path of a projectile.
• This sim from PhET at the University of Colorado at Boulder is a great way to generate practice problems and then test them out. It’s actually fun!!! 🙂
• The following pages from The Physics Classroom are more conceptual but are also helpful, particularly if you are lost on some of the basics. Besides, who doesn’t want to see the banana reach the monkey? 🙂
• Vector Direction
• Vector Addition: 6 + 8 = ???
• Vector Addition: The Order Does NOT Matter
• The Plane and The Wind
• The River Boat
• Parabolic Motion of Projectiles
• The Monkey and The Zookeeper
  • Throw at the Monkey in a Gravity Free Environment
  • Throw above the Monkey with Gravity On
  • Throw at the Monkey at a Fast Speed with Gravity On
  • Throw at the Monkey at a Slow Speed with Gravity On
• Horizontally Launched Projectiles
• Non-Horizontally Launched Projectiles
• Maximum Range
• The Plane and The Package
• The Truck and The Ball
• A Satellite as a Projectile