Setup, Procedure, Analysis – PASCO ME-6831 Ballistic Pendulum_Projectile Launcher User Manual
Page 40: Questions
P r o j e c t i l e L a u n c h e r
E x p . 7 : V a r y t h e A n g l e t o M a x i m i z e t h e H e i g h t
®
36
012-05375C
Setup
1.
Clamp the Projectile Launcher to a sturdy table. Mount the Launcher near one end of the table with the
Launcher aimed toward a wall about 2 meters from the table.
2.
Use a vertical board to the protect the wall and cover the board with white paper.
3.
Fire a test shot to see where the ball hits the board and tape a piece of carbon paper (carbon-side down) at that
position.
Procedure
1.
Shoot the ball at various angles and pinpoint which angle gives the maximum height by checking the marks
on the white paper. (Move the carbon paper as necessary.)
2.
Measure the angle that produces the maximum height and record its value in Table 7.1.
3.
Measure the maximum height and record the value in the Data Table.
4.
Measure the horizontal distance from the muzzle to the vertical board and record the value.
5.
Measure the initial height of the ball where it leaves the muzzle and record the value..
Analysis
1.
Calculate the initial speed by solving the y-equation for v
0
and substituting the values for y
max
,
max
, and x
from Table 7.1.
2.
Calculate the angle for maximum height using the initial speed calculated in step 1 and the horizontal distance
from the wall to the launcher.
3.
Calculate the percent difference between the measured angle and the calculated
angle. (Let A be one of the angles and B be the other angle).
Questions
1.
For the angle that gives the maximum height, when the ball hits the wall, has it already reached the peak of its
trajectory?
2.
For what distance from the wall would the height be maximized for a launch angle of 45°? What would the
maximum height be in this case?
Table 7.1: Data and Results
Item
Value
Measured Angle for Maximum Height
Maximum Height
Horizontal Distance
Initial Height
Calculated Initial Speed
Calculated Angle for Maximum Height
Percent Difference between Angles
Difference
A
B
–
A
B
+
2
-------------
------------- x100
=