Principles of Projectile Motion

trash You've learned to analyze motion in a straight line for objects that are either at a constant speed or accelerating. You’ve also learned to analyze objects in freefall that accelerate downwards due to the pull of gravity.

But what if an object is both moving to the right and falling?  In this topic you will learn the basics of analyzing these types of problems.

Essential Questions:

  • What is a reference frame and how can you tell if an object is at rest?
  • What is the relationship between motion in the horizontal and vertical directions for projectile motion?
  • How do your kinematics equations apply to vertical and horizontal motion?