Knowra Projectile motion Projectile motion Projectile motion is the curved motion of an object launched into the air and acted on primarily by gravity. In the ideal model, air resistance is negligible and horizontal and vertical motions can be analyzed separately.
Kinematics : The study of motion through position, velocity, and acceleration, without reference to its causes. Projectile motion is solved by tracking position and acceleration over time.
Vector decomposition : The representation of a vector as components along chosen coordinate axes. Resolving launch velocity into horizontal and vertical components uncouples the ideal equations.
Air resistance : A force opposing an object's motion through air, dependent on factors such as speed and shape. Drag changes speed and trajectory, so the ideal parabolic model no longer applies.
Ballistics : The science of the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially launched bodies. Projectile motion supplies a foundation for predicting trajectories in ballistics.
Gravitational acceleration : The acceleration produced by gravity; near Earth's surface it is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared downward. It supplies the projectile's nearly constant downward acceleration.
Newton's laws of motion : Three laws relating forces to the motion of bodies, including the relation between net force and acceleration. The model follows from applying the laws to gravity as the dominant force.
Terminal velocity : The steady speed reached when an object's drag balances the force driving its motion. A falling projectile with substantial drag can approach a speed unlike ideal free fall.
Artillery : Large-caliber weapons and the military branch that operates them. Artillery calculations use launch conditions and gravity to estimate impact locations.
Initial velocity : The velocity of an object at the start of a chosen interval of motion. Its horizontal and vertical components set the trajectory's initial direction and speed.
Free fall : Motion in which gravity is the only force acting on an object. After launch, the ideal projectile undergoes free fall while retaining horizontal velocity.
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