2nd Semester

2024-2025
Deanship of Preparatory Year
and Supporting Studies
ENGINEERING TRACK
PHYSICS 109

WEEK 6 Lecture 5
Chapter 4

Motion in Two Dimensions

OBJECTIVES:
The main objectives of this lecture are:
Section 4.3 Projectile Motion
Section 4.5 Relative Motion in One and Two Dimensions

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Section 4.3: Projectile Motion (P. 171)

A projectile is an object’s motion, moving in two dimensions

(vertical and horizontal) under the influence of Earth’s gravity; its
path is a parabola.

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 Guess now!

Which statements are NOT valid for a projectile motion ?

(a)The projectile has the same x- velocity (vx) at any point on its path.
(b)The acceleration of the projectile is positive and decreasing when the
projectile is moving upwards, zero at the top, and increasingly negative
as the projectile descends.
(c) The acceleration of the projectile is a constant negative value.
(d)The y-velocity (vy) of the projectile is zero at the highest point of its path.
(e) The velocity at the highest point is zero (vy , vx).

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Projectiles with Angle: Finding components

𝒗𝟎
𝒗𝟎𝒚
θ
𝒗𝟎𝒙

𝑣0𝑥 = 𝑣0 cos Ө horizontal velocity (Direction: +x)

𝑣0𝑦 = 𝑣0 sin Ө vertical velocity (Direction: +y or –y)

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Projectiles with Angle: Finding components
Ex.1: Calculate the horizontal and vertical components of the velocity if it
fires with 𝑉𝑜 = 300 m/s at different angles.

Solution :
𝜽 𝑽𝒐𝒙 = 𝑽𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 𝑽𝒐𝒚 = 𝑽𝒐 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
𝟐𝟎𝒐 𝑽𝒐𝒙 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐𝟎 = 𝟐𝟖𝟐 𝒎/𝒔 𝑽𝒐𝒚 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐𝟎 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎/𝒔

𝟒𝟓𝒐 𝑽𝒐𝒙 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟒𝟓 = 𝟐𝟏𝟐 𝒎/𝒔 𝑽𝒐𝒚 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟒𝟓 = 𝟐𝟏𝟐 𝒎/𝒔

𝟕𝟎𝒐 𝑽𝒐𝒙 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟕𝟎 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎/𝒔 𝑽𝒐𝒚 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟕𝟎 = 𝟐𝟖𝟐 𝒎/𝒔

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Section 4.3: Projectile Motion (P. 171)
horizontal velocity (Direction: +x)

vertical velocity
(Direction: -y)

vertical velocity (Direction: +y) 7

Analyzing Projectile motion \P.59

The speed in the 𝒙-direction (Horizontal) is constant; in the 𝒚-direction

(vertical) the object moves with constant acceleration 𝒈.

❑ This photograph shows two balls that start to

fall at the same time.
❑ The one on the right has an initial speed in
the 𝑥-direction.
❑ It can be seen that vertical positions of the
two balls are identical at identical times,
while the horizontal position of the yellow
ball increases linearly.

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Analyzing Projectile motion

❑ Projectile motion is motion with constant acceleration in 2D, where the

acceleration is g and is downward.

vox = v0 cos θ0

voy = v0 sinθ0

❑ In projectile motion, The horizontal motion and the vertical

motion are independent from each other.
❑ Thus, we can divide the problem into two separate and easy 1D
problems (x and y)
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Analyzing Projectile motion

Horizontal Motion (in +x axis) (no acceleration in x-axis)

vx = vox
vx = v0 cos(θ0 ) constant all the time
∆𝑥 = vox 𝑡 ∆𝑥 = v0 cos(θ0 )𝑡
θ

Vertical Motion (in y axis) (constant acceleration in -y) 𝒂𝒚 = −𝐠

1 2
we substitute vo𝑦 and ay in ∆𝑦 = v0𝑦 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡
2
1 2
voy = v0 sin(θ0 ) ∆𝑦 = v0 sin θ0 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡
2
vy = v0 sin θ0 − gt 𝑣𝑦2 = v0 sin θ0 2
− 2g(∆𝑦)
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Ex.2: An object is fired from the ground at 100 m/s at an angle of 30 ° with
the horizontal
i. Calculate the horizontal and vertical components of the initial velocity
ii. After 2.0 seconds, how far has the object traveled in the horizontal
direction?
iii. How high is the object at this point?

Solution :

i) 𝑣𝑜𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 = 100 × 𝑐𝑜𝑠30° = 87 m/s

𝑣𝑜𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 = 100 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° = 50 m/s

𝛥𝑥
ii) 𝑣𝑜𝑥 = ֜ 𝛥𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜𝑥 𝑡 = 87 × 2.0 = 174𝑚
𝛥𝑡

iii) ∆𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜𝑦 𝑡 − 1 𝑔𝑡 2 = 50 × 2 − 1 9.8 × 2 2 = 80.4 𝑚

2 2

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 Ex. 3: A kicked football leaves the ground at an angle 𝜽𝟎 = 𝟑𝟕. 𝟎° with a
velocity of 20.0 m/s . Calculate (a) ymax , (b) the time of travel ,(c) how far
it hits the ground (ignore air resistance).

Solution :
𝑣𝑜𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 20 𝑐𝑜𝑠37° = 16 𝑚/𝑠
𝑣𝑜𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 20 𝑠𝑖𝑛37° = 12 𝑚/𝑠

(a) 𝑣𝑦2 = 𝑣𝑜𝑦

2 − 2𝑔∆𝑦
֜ 02 = 122 − 2 × 9.8 × ∆𝑦𝑚𝑎𝑥
12 2
֜ ∆𝑦𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 2×9.8 = 7.35 𝑚

(b) 𝑣𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜𝑦 − 𝑔𝑡 ֜ −12 = 12 − 9.8𝑡 𝑡 = 12+12

9.8 = 2.45 𝑠

(c) 𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜𝑥 𝑡 = 16 2.45 = 39.2 𝑚

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Ex. 3: A movie stunt driver on a motorcycle speeds horizontally off a
50.0 m high cliff. How fast must the motorcycle leave the cliff top to
land on level ground below, 90.0 m from the base of the cliff where the
cameras are? Ignore air resistance.

Solution:

1 1 2∆𝑦 2 × (−50.0)
∆𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜𝑦 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑡 = −𝑔 𝑡 2 ⇛ t =
2 = = 3.19𝑠
2 2 −𝑔 −9.80

1 ∆𝑥 90.0
∆𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜𝑥 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑥 𝑡 2 = 𝑣𝑜𝑥 𝑡 ⇛ 𝑣𝑜𝑥 = = = 28.2 𝑚Τ𝑠
2 𝑡 3.19
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Ex.4: A ball rolls off a tabletop with an initial velocity of 3 m/s. If the
tabletop is 1.25 m above the floor:
a)How long does it take for the ball to hit the floor?
b)How far does the ball travel horizontally?

a) Ball rolls off in +x direction, so 𝑣𝑜𝑥 = 3 m/s . But 𝑣𝑜𝑦 = 0 , means it is a free fall
1 2 1
∆𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜𝑦 t − 𝑔𝑡 ֜ − 1.25 = 0 − × 9.8 × 𝑡 2 ֜ 𝑡 = 0.5 𝑠
2 2

𝑣𝑜𝑥 = 3 m/s
b) Δ𝑥 = 𝑣𝑜𝑥 𝑡 = 3 × 0.5 = 1.5 𝑚 𝑦0 = 0

ℎ = 1.5𝑚

𝑦𝑓 = −1.25𝑚
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Ex.6: A peanut slide off a chute at 12 m/s. (a) Find time in air. (b)Range (R).

Solution :

1 2
(a) ∆𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜𝑦 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡
2
1
−6 = 0 − 9.8𝑡 2
2

4.9𝑡 2 = 6 ֜ 𝑡 = 1.106 𝑠

(b) 𝑅 = 𝑣𝑜𝑥 𝑡 = 12 × 1.106 = 13.27 𝑚

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▪ To use the following formulae , the final height
should be the same as the lunch height.

The horizontal range of a projectile is the distance along the horizontal

plane it would travel, before reaching the same vertical position as it
started from.

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 Ex.3(Again): A kicked football leaves the ground at an angle 𝜽𝟎
= 𝟑𝟕. 𝟎° with a velocity of 20.0 m/s . Calculate (a) ymax , (b) the time of
travel ,(c) how far it hits the ground (ignore air resistance).

Solution :

20 𝑠𝑖𝑛37° 2
(a) 𝑦𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = 7.35 𝑚
2 × 9.8

2 20 𝑠𝑖𝑛37°
(b) 𝑇𝑡𝑜𝑓 = = 2.456 𝑠
9.8

202 × sin(2 × 37°)

(c) 𝑅= = 39.2 𝑚
9.8
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Projectile motion: The horizontal Range

Ex.4: Which angle makes the horizontal range is maximum?

sin(2𝜃𝑜 ) = 1 𝑆𝑜 ֜ 2𝜃𝑜 = 90 ° ֜ 𝜃𝑜 = 45 °

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Ex.5: Range of a cannon ball.
Suppose one of Napoleon’s cannons had a muzzle speed, 𝑣0 , of 60 m/s.
At what angle should it have been aimed (ignore air resistance) to strike
a target 320 m away?

Solution :
𝑅g (320)(9.8)
𝑣𝑜2 sin(2𝜃𝑜 ) sin(2𝜃𝑜 ) = 2 = = 0.871
𝑅= 𝑣𝑜 (60) 2
g

2𝜃𝑜 = sin−1 0.871 = 60.6° 𝑜𝑟 119.4°

𝜃𝑜 = 30.3° 𝑜𝑟 59.7°

What is the relation between

these two answers.

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Ex. 7: A ball is thrown at an original speed of 8.0 m/s at an angle of 35°
above the horizontal. If there is no air resistance, what is the speed of
the ball when it returns to the same horizontal level?
A) 4.0 m/s
B) 8.0 m/s
B
C) 16 m/s
D) 9.8 m/s

Ex. 8: A boy jumps with a velocity of magnitude 20.0 m/s at an angle

of 25.0° above the horizontal. What is the horizontal component of
the boy's velocity?
A) 18.1 m/s
A
B) 15.6 m/s
C) 8.45 m/s
D) 12.6 m/s
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4-5 Relative Motion in One and Two Dimensions (P. 189)

Relative Motion in 1D: Take the example of the person sitting in a train
moving east. If we choose east as the positive direction and Earth as the
reference frame, then we can write the velocity of the train with respect to
the Earth as 𝒗 𝑇𝐸 . Let’s now say the person gets up out of her seat and walks
toward the back of the train at a velocity with respect to the train as 𝒗𝑃𝑇 We
can add the two velocity vectors to find the velocity of the person with respect
to Earth. This relative velocity is written as

𝒗𝑃𝐸 = 𝒗𝑃𝑇 + 𝒗 𝑇𝐸

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Section 3.1: Position, displacement, and average velocity | PP.106 revisited

Ex.6: While you are sitting on a train travelling at 80 km/h, someone

walks down the aisle at a speed of 5 km/h. What is the 𝒗PE?

Solution: 𝒗PE: Velocity of Person with respect to the Earth ?

▪ This +5 km/h is the velocity of the person with respect to the train as frame of
reference.
𝒗𝑃𝐸 = 𝒗𝑃𝑇 + 𝒗 𝑇𝐸

Velocity of the Person with respect to the Train + velocity of the Train with respect to the Earth

𝒗𝑃𝐸 = 5 km/h + 80 km/h = +85 km/h

It is important to specify the frame of reference when starting a velocity.

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Ex.7: In the figure; the velocity of the river flow relative to Earth is 5 km/h
due east, and the velocity of the boat relative to the water is 10 km/h due
north. What is the velocity of the boat relative to Earth?

Solution :
velocity of the river flow relative to Earth is 𝒗𝑅𝐸 = 5 𝑖Ƹ 𝑘𝑚/ℎ
velocity of the boat relative to the water is 𝒗𝐵𝑅 = 10 𝑗Ƹ 𝑘𝑚/ℎ
velocity of the boat relative to Earth is 𝒗𝐵𝐸 = ? ?

𝒗𝐵𝐸 = 𝒗𝑅𝐸 + 𝒗𝐵𝑅 = ( 5 𝑖Ƹ + 10 𝑗Ƹ ) 𝑘𝑚/ℎ

𝑣𝐵𝐸 = 𝑣𝑅𝐸 2 + 𝑣𝐵𝑅 2 = (5)2 +(10)2 = 11.2 𝑘𝑚/ℎ

𝑣𝑅𝐸 5
𝜃 = tan−1 𝑣𝐵𝑅 = tan−1 10 = 26.56°

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Ex. 3:

Solution :

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 Simulations (Animations)

Friday, 14 February, 2025

• https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/projectile-motion

Physics Group - Basic Sciences Department

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