KINEMATICS · INTERACTIVE SIMULATION
Projectile Motion
Change the initial velocity, launch angle, launch height and gravitational acceleration. Observe the parabolic trajectory and the velocity components.
Launch Parameters
Controls
Projectile Trajectory
True scale: one metre on the x-axis occupies the same screen distance as one metre on the y-axis. The velocity arrow is tangent to the trajectory.
Launch Results
With zero vertical velocity and zero initial height, the projectile starts on the ground and the model flight time is zero.
Comparison of Trajectories A and B
| Quantity | Projectile A | Projectile B |
|---|
Each projectile stops on impact; the time slider continues until the last impact. The dashed purple line represents B.
Synchronized Graphs
Numbered ticks on the horizontal axis show seconds (including t = 2 s when in range). Click a tick or enter an exact time below. You can also use the arrow keys. On phones, scroll horizontally to read the scales.
Height y(t)
Velocity components vₓ(t), vᵧ(t)
Equations and Calculations
Initial horizontal component:—
Initial vertical component:—
Horizontal motion: —
Vertical motion: —
Vertical velocity: —
Flight time: —
Flight time comes from the nonnegative solution of y(t) = 0. Maximum height occurs when vᵧ(t) = 0.
Values Table
| t (s) | x (m) | y (m) | vₓ (m/s) | vᵧ (m/s) |
|---|
Five equally spaced times from launch to ground impact.
Export A and, when comparison is enabled, B, including SI units and significant events. CSV uses a comma delimiter and decimal point.
FROM EQUATIONS TO RESULTS
Step-by-Step Calculations
Equations and steps update automatically with the simulation parameters.
Calculations use full-precision values; displayed steps are rounded only for readability. The ≈ symbol indicates an approximate numerical value. All added terms have dimensionally compatible units.
Other experiments: Motion in a Straight Line · Back to Physics Lab