Projectile Basics
What force causes a projectile to accelerate after it is launched?
Gravity
Which trigonometric function is used to find horizontal velocity?
Cosine
What equation is used to find vertical velocity as time changes?
vy=v0y - gt
Which launch angle gives the greatest range (same speed, ground level)?
45°
What type of graph shows acceleration as slope?
Velocity vs time
What is the direction and magnitude of a projectile’s acceleration during flight?
9.8 m/s² downward
Which component of velocity changes due to gravity?
Vertical
At maximum height, vertical velocity equals what value?
0 m/s
Which travels farther: 10 m/s at 30° or 10 m/s at 60°?
Same distance
What does the area under a velocity–time graph represent?
Displacement
At the highest point of a projectile’s path, which velocity component is zero?
Vertical velocity
A projectile is launched at 20 m/s at 30°.
Which component is larger: horizontal or vertical?
Horizontal
If a projectile takes 2.0 s to reach max height, how long is total time in the air?
4.0 s
What two factors determine horizontal range?
Horizontal velocity and time
Which graph shows a parabolic shape for a projectile’s motion?
Position vs time (vertical)
Does a projectile ever have zero acceleration while in the air?
No
If launch speed stays the same, how does increasing launch angle affect vertical velocity?
It increases
Which variable determines how long a projectile stays in the air: horizontal or vertical velocity?
Vertical velocity
If time in the air doubles, what happens to horizontal range?
It doubles
What does a flat line on a horizontal velocity–time graph indicate during projectile motion?
Constant horizontal velocity
Ignoring air resistance, what stays constant throughout projectile motion?
Horizontal velocity
A projectile’s horizontal velocity is 12 m/s.
What happens to this value at maximum height?
It stays 12 m/s
Why does launch height increase time of flight?
It increases vertical displacement
Why doesn’t vertical motion affect horizontal range directly?
They are independent
Why does vertical position vs time curve while horizontal position vs time is linear?
Vertical motion is accelerated; horizontal motion is constant