Projectile motion

Split a throw into horizontal and vertical motion, then change gravity and see what changes. About 8 minutes, A-level Mechanics.

What you will do

1. A ball is thrown. A ball leaves the ground at v0 m/s at angle°. The orange arrow is the launch velocity. We ignore air resistance, so only gravity acts — and it only acts downwards.
2. Let it fly. Drag the time slider (or press Launch) past 1 second and watch the ball. The black arrow is its velocity; the red and green arrows are its horizontal and vertical parts.
3. The top of the flight. Notice the red arrow (horizontal speed) never changes length, while the green one (vertical speed) shrinks, vanishes at the top, then points down.
4. How far does it go?. Now 30° instead of 45°. Horizontal speed is v and the flight lasts 2v / g, so the range is their product.
5. Beat 40 metres. Change the launch (drag the orange arrow, or use the sliders) so the range is more than 40 m. The speed is fixed at 20 m/s, so you have to choose the angle well.
6. On the Moon. Same throw, but gravity is only 1.62 m/s². The ball stays up much longer.
7. Your turn. Everything is unlocked. Try a launch from a height, a different planet, or a negative angle (throwing downwards).