Projectile Simulator
Just press the Start button below! If you wish you can set the components of the velocity? Vx for the horizontal component and Vy for the vertical. Look below for tips of what to study in these simulations.
| position x (m) | Vx (m/s) | ||
| position y (m) | Vy (m/s) | ||
| time (s) |
Its interesting to notice the following
1) The time to complete the flight doesn´t depend on Vx. Try to vary Vx and keep the same Vy to notice that. This fact illustrate the usefulness of the vector concept, as the motion along x and y are independent. You will also notice that both graphs are also always the same, as you keep Vy constant and change Vx.
2) The motion along x has a constant velocity, although it is accelerated along y (because gravity only acts on the vertical). The distance travelled along x is just the Vx times the time taken.
3) Vy at the end of the flight is the same as when it started (because air resistance is neglected, to make it simple). Vy shown on the table at the end is in fact slightly larger than at the beginning, because the motion ends slightly under ground level (position y is negative) and the ball accelerates more during this extra one meter or two. I will try to improve the code and make it stop at ground level. You can try to use the stop button to get that.
4) The parabola on the top graph (Y x t)faces down, because acceleration is negative (gravity).
5) The bottom graph (Vy x t) is a straight line because the acceleration is constant. It crosses the horizontal axis (x axis) when the velocity is zero. This instant occurs when the ball is at the highest point in the trajectory.