Projectile Motion: Experiment and Computational Model

Developed by Todd Zimmerman

Connecting computation to experiment is at the heart of physics. This set of exercises requires students to create a computational model for a ball launched into the air to determine the distance traveled and total time in the air. The students then must perform the experiment by launching the ball with a spring launcher. Data from the experiment must be entered into the computational model and the experimental results are compared to the computer model.

Subject Areas Mechanics and Experimental Labs
Level First Year
Available Implementations IPython/Jupyter Notebook and Sage Worksheet
Learning Objectives
  • Explain that the time an object is in the air depends only on motion in the y-direction (Exercise 4)
  • Relate the initial velocity of a launched ball to the horizontal velocity when the ball is launched horizontally (Exercise 2)
  • Make use of the fact that horizontal and vertical motion are independent to solve a 2D motion problem by breaking problem up into two 1D problems (Exercise 1)
  • Convert equations of motion into a computational model (program) with discrete time-steps (Exercise 1)
  • Use experimental data as an input into a computational model (Exercise 6)
  • Explain the limitations of computational models in predicting experimental results (Exercise 6)
Time to Complete 180 min