Analyzing Projectile Motion

This lesson is a lab used in Physics to gain better understanding of the independence of the horizontal and vertical motion of a projectile.

Students set up their frame by placing a meter stick horizontally in the area that they are going to film.

While the camera is recording video a projectile is launched through the frame.

The video is then downloaded into a computer and the analyzed using "Vernier" software.

Using the software the students will be able to calculate the horizontal velocity during various points of flight and verify that it is constant.

The students will also be able to calculate the vertical velocity at various points and use them to calculate the acceleration of the object due to gravity.

From their calculations the students can verify that the horizontal and vertical components of motion are independent of each other.