Overview:

1. Recap
2. Projecting a particle directly upwards
3. Projecting a particle at any angle
4. Projectile motion formulae

Displacement-time and velocity-time graphs for a purely vertical trajectory

This applet features two panes. The graph in the left-hand pane shows the particle’s trajectory.

The right-hand pane can show one of two graphs relating to the projectile:

1. Vertical displacement against time
2. Vertical velocity against time

To cycle between these two graphs, simply click the label on the vertical axis of the right-hand graph. When displaying a velocity time-graph on the right, a dynamic vector showing the the projectile’s velocity will be shown on the projectile in the left-hand pane.

You can adjust the initial velocity and the initial elevation of the projectile. If you set an elevation \(>0\) i.e. above ground level, you can set an initial downward velocity (a negative upward velocity). Animate the projectile by clicking the animate button. Once started, buttons to pause and resume the animation will appear.

Solving problems involving projectiles