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SCIENCE PROJECT
How to find maximum height of a projectile
Ever wanted to know how high and how fast you can kick a football ? Turns out , it ’ s pretty easy to figure out . All you need to know is how far away from you the ball lands and how much time it spends in the air ( the “ hang time ”). Combine these two simple measurements with a little bit of physics and you can start competing with your friends to see who can kick the highest or the fastest ! This can be done by finding the maximum height of a projectile . But before going to find maximum height first understand the definition of projectile ?
WHAT IS A PROJECTILE ?
A projectile is any object that once projected or dropped continues in motion by its own inertia and is influenced only by the downward force of gravity . The only force acting on the projectile is the force of gravity . If there were any other force acting upon an object , then that object would not be a projectile .
Gravity acts to influence the vertical motion of the projectile , thus causing a vertical acceleration . The horizontal motion of the projectile is the result of the tendency of any object in motion to remain in motion at constant velocity . Due to the absence of horizontal forces , a projectile remains in motion with a constant horizontal velocity . Horizontal forces are not required to keep a projectile moving horizontally . The only force acting upon a projectile is gravity !
There are a variety of examples of projectiles . An object dropped from rest is a projectile ( provided that the influence of air resistance is negligible ). An object that is thrown vertically upward is also a projectile ( provided that the influence of air resistance is negligible ). And an object which is thrown upward at an angle to the horizontal is also a projectile ( provided that the influence of air resistance is negligible ). Now here is an example to find maximum height of a projectile when you kicked a foot ball .
HOW CAN YOU FIND A PROJECTILE ’ S MAXIMUM HEIGHT ?
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Given the hang time and distance travelled of a football , figure out how high it went , how fast you kicked it , and the angle at which it left the ground .
PROCEDURE
1 . Kick the ball and at the same time , start the stopwatch . This is where a friend can come in handy . Have them hold the ball and work the timer so you can focus all your energy on giving the ball the best
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WINSPIRE : Empowering youth | January , 2017