The Projectile Motion Apparatus is a fundamental educational tool used to study the principles of projectile motion in physics. It provides a practical way to investigate the motion of an object launched into the air and analyze its trajectory, range, and time of flight. This apparatus helps in understanding key concepts in kinematics, including the effects of initial velocity, launch angle, and gravitational acceleration. A steel ball is launched using a spring mechanism, with varying velocities and launch angles. The experiment investigates how the projectile’s range, launch height, angle of inclination, and initial velocity relate to each other.
Experiments:
- Learn a classic method to determine a projectile’s velocity
- Examine the projectile’s path and understand its parabolic trajectory.
- Measure the projectile’s range and flight time to validate theoretical predictions.
- Study how variations in launch angle and initial speed influence the range of the projectile.
- Investigate how different launch angles affect the projectile’s range and path.
- Apply and verify theoretical equations of motion through hands-on experimentation.
- Determine the projectile’s initial velocity from range and time measurements.
- To study the effect of air resistance on the projectile’s motion.
- Equipment also suitable for demonstration experiments
- Immediate evaluation with the integrated velocity measurement (Optional)
Specifications:
- Aluminum profiled structure for lightweight and durable and consistent design
- Launch mechanism is constructed from sturdy materials like steel.
- Launch Mechanism: A device to project objects, often adjustable to vary launch angle and velocity loaded using spring.
- Adjustable striking force in four steps via loading lever and lock mechanism
- Measuring Tools: Scale to measure the range and stopwatch to measure the time of flight
- Adjustable striking angle between 0 to 90o
- Photo gate to measure the time of flight with digital output (Optional)
- Track & Landing Surface: A designated area to measure the range where the projectile lands. It may include measurement markings for precise readings. (optional)
