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Imagine throwing a ball to somebody. As the ball travels horizontally through the air, it also travels vertically due to
the force of gravity. The ball is a projectile an object moving under the influence of gravity.
Gravity produces the same downward acceleration on all objects.
Some projectiles only move vertically. Other projectiles move horizontally and vertically at the same time. When we
investigate the motion of a projectile, the horizontal and vertical motion of the projectile are kept separate.
Horizontal motion
The horizontal speed of a projectile is constant for the duration of its flight. For any calculations involving the
projectile's horizontal motion, we use
Vertical motion
The vertical motion of a projectile is controlled by gravity. All projectiles experience a downward acceleration of
10m/s2. Since the projectile's vertical speed is not constant, acceleration must be included in any calculation of
vertical motion. Sometimes it is more convenient to rearrange the equation to give the final speed, v
v = u + at
Question
A boy kicks a ball horizontally over the edge of a cliff with a speed of 6 m/s as shown in the diagram.
(c) How far from the foot of the cliff will the ball land?
Answer
Keep the horizontal and vertical information separate.
Horizontal motion
vx = 6 m/s
t=3s
Vertical motion
u = 0 m/s (the ball does not move vertically until it goes over the edge)
a = 10 m/s2 (this is the downwards acceleration due to gravity)
t=3s
v=?
(a) Use only the vertical information
v = u + at
v = 0 + (10 x 3)
v = 30 m/s
(b) The height of the cliff is simply the vertical distance travelled by the ball. If we draw a speed-time
graph using the vertical motion, we can calculate the vertical distance travelled.
The ball has an initial vertical velocity of 0 m/s and accelerates uniformly over 3 s to reach a final vertical
speed of 30 m/s.
Resolution of Vectors:
Any vector directed at an angle to the horizontal (or the vertical) can be thought of as having two parts (or
components). That is, any vector directed in two dimensions can be thought of as having two components. For
example, if a chain pulls upward at an angle on the collar of a dog, then there is a tension force directed in two
dimensions. This tension force has two components: an upward component and a rightward component. In this unit,
we learn two basic methods for determining the magnitudes of the components of a vector directed in two
dimensions. The process of determining the magnitude of a vector is known as vector resolution. The two methods
of vector resolution that we will examine are
4.
5.
Select a scale and accurately draw the vector to scale in the indicated direction.
Sketch a parallelogram around the vector: beginning at the tail of the vector, sketch vertical and horizontal
lines; then sketch horizontal and vertical lines at the head of the vector; the sketched lines will meet to form
a rectangle (a special case of a parallelogram).
Draw the components of the vector. The components are the sides of the parallelogram. The tail of the
components start at the tail of the vector and stretches along the axes to the nearest corner of the
parallelogram. Be sure to place arrowheads on these components to indicate their direction (up, down, left,
right).
Meaningfully label the components of the vectors with symbols to indicate which component represents
which side. A northward force component might be labeled F north. A rightward velocity component might
be labeled vx; etc.
Measure the length of the sides of the parallelogram and use the scale to determine the magnitude of the
components in real units. Label the magnitude on the diagram.
The step-by-step procedure above is illustrated in the diagram below to show how a velocity vector with a
magnitude of 50 m/s and a direction of 60 degrees above the horizontal may be resolved into two components. The
diagram shows that the vector is first drawn to scale in the indicated direction; a parallelogram is sketched about the
vector; the components are labeled on the diagram; and the result of measuring the length of the vector components
and converting to m/s using the scale. (NOTE: because different computer monitors have different resolutions, the
actual length of the vector on your monitor may not be 5 cm.)
The method of employing trigonometric functions to determine the components of a vector are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Construct a rough sketch (no scale needed) of the vector in the indicated direction. Label its magnitude and
the angle that it makes with the horizontal.
Draw a rectangle about the vector such that the vector is the diagonal of the rectangle. Beginning at the tail
of the vector, sketch vertical and horizontal lines. Then sketch horizontal and vertical lines at the head of
the vector. The sketched lines will meet to form a rectangle.
Draw the components of the vector. The components are the sides of the rectangle. The tail of each
component begins at the tail of the vector and stretches along the axes to the nearest corner of the rectangle.
Be sure to place arrowheads on these components to indicate their direction (up, down, left, right).
Meaningfully label the components of the vectors with symbols to indicate which component represents
which side. A northward force component might be labeled F north. A rightward force velocity component
might be labeled vx; etc.
To determine the length of the side opposite the indicated angle, use the sine function. Substitute the
magnitude of the vector for the length of the hypotenuse. Use some algebra to solve the equation for the
length of the side opposite the indicated angle.
Repeat the above step using the cosine function to determine the length of the side adjacent to the indicated
angle.
The above method is illustrated below for determining the components of the force acting upon Fido. As the 60Newton tension force acts upward and rightward on Fido at an angle of 40 degrees, the components of this force can
be determined using trigonometric functions.
In conclusion, a vector directed in two dimensions has two components - that is, an influence in two separate
directions. The amount of influence in a given direction can be determined using methods of vector resolution. Two
methods of vector resolution have been described here - a graphical method (parallelogram method) and a
trigonometric method.