This applet allows you the opportunity to predict then launch ballistic trajectories.
To try this
simulation:
You can use your mouse to move the slider and set the launch angle. Click on the appropriate buttons to launch and reset. NOTE that when you click on reset it may MOVE the basket. To avoid this, double click on launch to reload, then click again to fire.
What's Going On?
When you launch the ball, it becomes a ballistic projectile; it is no longer directly in your control and continues in motion by its own inertia. As it was released, the launcher gave the ball a certain momentum and energy. The constant pull of gravity on the launched ball eventually causes it to curve back towards the ground. This is a good example of Newton’s First Law in action as its initial straight line motion is altered by other forces. Therefore, where it lands depends on many factors that include the trajectory, gravity, and energy of the launch.
This launch was simulated in a controlled environment. Can you name additional forces or issues that might influence the distance and landing place of our ball in the real world?
There's More!
People have been interested in predicting ballistic paths for a long time. Ever since the catapults were built, it became important to know where the shot was going to land.
In 1537, the mathematician and military engineer Niccolo Tartaglia (tahr-tahl’-yah) was asked to determine the angle of elevation that would give a cannon the greatest range. Tartaglia discovered that 45 degrees was optimal. However, in cases where the weight of the projectile is comparable to the applied force, maximum range can be much less than 45 degree.
In 1946 the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) electronic computer was used by the U.S. War Department to calculate ballistic trajectories for artillery and ship’s cannon. Today’s microcomputers are more powerful than the ENIAC. This task is now done by Supercomputers so our military can take into account more variables and thus be more accurate.
