LAB 4

FAKULTI TEKNOLOGI DAN

KEJURUTERAAN MEKANIKAL
UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA
BMMM 2313 DYNAMICS & MECHANICS OF MACHINE
(DINAMIK & MEKANIK MESIN)

LAB REPORT 4

PROJECTILE MOTION – DIFFERENT CLICKS

INSTRUCTOR’S NAME DR. NOR FAIZAH BINTI HAMINUDIN

STUDENT’S NAME MATRIX NO:

S1. JUSRIZAL AKMAL BIN AJJU B092210056
S2. MUHAMMAD HAFIZ MUSTAQIM BIN JUNID B132310672
S3. KAMARUL AZEEM BIN KAMARUZAMAN B092210444
S4. MUHAMMAD NUR HAFIZZUDDIN BIN SALIM B092210289
S5. ARITHARAN A/L ARUL RAJA B092210455

ASSESSEMENT RUBRICS
GIVEN MARKS
MARK
ASSESSMENT TASK/ITEMS
ALLOCATION GROUP REPORT
1. Procedure (Ability to conduct procedure
10
for lab activity)
2. Work Process (Ability to construct and
10
understanding projectile motion)
3. Outcome (Excel graph bar chart) 20
4. Outcome (Discussion) 40
5. Outcome (Conclusion) 15
6. Discipline (Ability to perform lab activity
5
and submission)
TOTAL MARKS 100

Approved By: ………………………………………………..…..

(Instructor’s Signature & Stamp)

Date: …………………………………………….........
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1.0 OBJECTIVES

1. To predict the horizontal range of a projectile shot from various heights and angles
2. Compare the time of flight for projectiles shot horizontally at different muzzle
velocities

2.0 EQUIPMENT

1 Mini Launcher ME-6825

1 Time of Flight Accessory ME-6810
1 Phone Jack Extender Cable PI-8117
2 Photogate Head ME-9498A
1 Photogate Bracket ME-6821A
1 Large C Clamp (need one only) SE-7285
1 Plumb Bob (need one only) SE-8728
1 Carbon Paper SE-8693
1 Metric Measuring Tape SE-8712A

3.0 SYNOPSIS & THEORY

The launchers work extremely well and with a combination of luck and skill you may see
an accuracy of a centimeter or so over a 3 meter distance. However, small variations in
cocking the launcher may cause the pattern to shift by several centimeters. We use three
shot patterns and average and the results should generally be accurate to within 3
centimeters.

The horizontal range, x, for a projectile can be found using the following equation:

x = vxt (1)

where vx is the horizontal velocity (= the initial horizontal velocity) and t is the time of

flight. To find the time of flight, t, the following kinematic equation is needed:

y = ½ ayt2 + vy0t (2)

where y is the height, ay = -g is the acceleration due to gravity and v y0 is the vertical
component of the initial velocity.

When a projectile is fired horizontally (from a height y), the time of flight can be found by
rearranging Equation 2. Since the initial vertical velocity is zero, the last term drops out of
the equation yielding:

t = (2y/ay)1/2 = (-2y/g)1/2 (2a)

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When a projectile is fired at an angle and it lands at the same elevation from which it was
launched, y = 0, and we may solve Equation (2) for t:

t = 2vy0/g (2b)

Subbing this into Equation (1) yields

x = 2vxvy0/g = (2v2cos∅sin∅)/g (3)

where v is the initial speed of the projectile.

When a projectile is fired from a height, none of the terms drop out and Equation 2 may be
rearranged as follows:

½ ayt2 + vy0t – y = 0 (2c)

Equation 2c may be solved using the quadratic formula to find the time of flight, t. Equation
1 then yields the horizontal range.

Safety
Wear Safety Goggles.
Do not place foreign objects into the Launcher.
Do not look into the Launcher.
Do not aim the Launcher at others.
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PART A

4.0 PROCEDURE

Setup 1 – Muzzle Velocity, Time of Flight & Range

1. Slide the Photogate Bracket into the groove on the bottom of the launcher and tighten
the thumbscrew.

2. Connect two photogates to the bracket (see Figure 2). Adjust the Photogate Bracket so
the first photogate is as close to the launcher as possible without blocking the IR beam.

3. Attach the launcher to the launcher stand using the upper holes (see Figure 3).

4. Plug the photogate closest to the launcher into Digital Input 1 on the 850 Universal
Interface. Plug the other photogate into Digital Input 2.

5. Plug the Time of Flight Accessory into Digital Input 3.

6. Choose one corner of a table to place the projectile launcher. Make sure a distance of
about 3 meters is clear on the floor in the direction the ball will be fired.

7. Clamp the launcher to the corner of the table using a C Clamp (see Figure 3).

8. Using the attached plumb bob, adjust the angle of the launcher to 0o.

Figure 1: Time of Flight Setup

Figure 2: Photo gate Setup Figure 3: Launcher Attachment

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Note 1: Measuring angles

It is critical that you measure the angle carefully. An error of ½ degree will affect your
results by several centimeters . You should be able to read the angles within 0.2 degrees. In
Figure 5, the angle is 25.5 0. Does Figure 4 show 25.00 ? No! Notice that the line is not
symmetric between the 240 and 260 marks. This angle should be read as 24.80. In Step 2, it
is critical that the angle be exactly 0.00. In Step 3, it is not critical to exactly set the requested
angle as long as you know what your exact angle is. For example, having 20.70 instead of
20.00 is fine as long as you know it is 20.7 0 and adjust the numbers in the table to reflect
your actual angles.

Figure 4: Reading The Angle 2 Figure 5: Reading the Angle 1

Step2: Muzzle Velocity, Time of Flight & Range

1. Note the circle on the side of the launcher that says “Launch Position of Ball.” This
indicates the position of the ball when it leaves the spring and becomes a free projectile.
From where on the circle should you measure the drop distance y? Hint: what part of
the ball strikes the floor? Is y positive or negative? From what part of the circle should
you measure x? In addition, measure the spacing between the two photogates and
verify that it is 10.0 cm. The program calculates the initial speed by assuming the
photogates are separated by 10.0 cm and dividing by the time the ball takes to travel
between the two gates.
2. Measure the drop distance, y, to the top of the Time of Flight Accessory and record it
in the Initial Height line under the Data 1 tab.
3. Carefully adjust the launcher to fire horizontally. The protractor should read exactly zero
degrees. You should try to set the angle within 0.2 degrees by making the string
equidistant between the +1 and -1 degree hash marks on the protractor. You will not get
good results if you are not careful when setting the angles. See Note 1.
4. Place the steel ball into the launcher and use the push rod to load the ball until the “3 rd
click” is heard.
5. Check to see that there is no one down range! Launch the ball by pulling straight upward
on the string. Don’t jerk. Observe where the ball hits the floor. Tape a small piece of
tape to the floor to mark the spot. Place the Time of Flight Accessory above the piece of
tape so the ball will strike it.
6. Click on the Record button.
7. Pull the launch cord on the launcher. Click the Stop button to stop recording.
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8. Record the Initial Speed and the Time of Flight in the table under the Data 1 tab.
9. Repeat two more times.
10. If the launcher is only compressed to two clicks, will the Time of Flight be more, less,
or the same as for 3 clicks? Think about it and write you answer in the appropriate place
under the Data 1 tab.
11. Repeat steps 2-8 for 2 clicks and 1 click. Record your results in the table on Data 1.

5.0 RESULT

Initial Height (y) = 0.47

Plot the table of Time of Flight vs. Speed Table: # of Clicks, Initial Speed (Vin), Time of
Flight (ToF)
Time of Flight vs Initial Speed
#Clicks Vin (m/s) ToF (s) Experimental
Horizontal Range
(m)
1 1 2.42 0.47 1.106
2 1 2.37 0.45 1.110
3 1 2.37 0.43 1.040
4 2 3.66 0.56 1.741
5 2 3.67 0.57 1.730
6 2 3.70 0.50 1.735
7 3 4.87 0.80 2.325
8 3 4.89 0.63 2.322
9 3 4.94 0.50 2.361

6.0 DISCUSSION

1. Will the Time of Flight for the two click position (horizontal fire) be more than, less than,
or the same as the Time of Flight for the three click position? Explain your logic!

in the context of the two-click position, the Time of Flight closely aligns with that of the three-click
position. The equation derived from (1), 𝛥𝑥 = 𝑣𝑡, indicates an inverse relationship between speed and
time. Nevertheless, when an individual takes their own time, variations may occur. In such cases, the
flight time might remain nearly identical or possibly exhibit substantial similarity. This discrepancy arises
from random errors stemming from human observational inaccuracies.

2. If your initial guess about what would happen (in the box above) was wrong, explain
why the Time of Flight behaves the way it does!

Predicted Range for two click position = 1.972

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From the formula; 𝛥𝑥 = 𝑣𝑡 𝛥𝑥 = (3.68)(0.54) 𝛥𝑥 = 1.987m
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7.0 CONCLUSIONS

1. Did the time of flight depend on the initial horizontal speed. What does this imply
about the dependence of the vertical motion on the horizontal motion?

Certainly, given that this pertains to projectile motion, the Time of Flight relies on the initial
horizontal velocity.

2. Use Equation 2a from Theory to calculate the time of flight.

Predicted Time of Flight = 0.31s

t=(-2y/g)^1/2
t=(-2(0.46)/9.81)^1/2
t=0.31s

3. How well does the Time of Flight calculated from Equation 2a agree with your
experimental values. If they don’t agree, what could explain the difference?

Certain values exhibit similarity, whereas others display slight discrepancies in timing. The malfunction of
our detection plate contributed to this issue, necessitating manual computation of the flight time. The table
below outlines the error calculation process.

4. How well did your predicted range compare to the actual range? What does this show.

Time of Flight vs Initial Speed

#Clicks Vin (m/s) ToF (s) Experimental Predicted
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Horizontal Horizontal
Range (m) Range (m)
1 1 2.42 0.47 1.106 1.1374
2 1 2.37 0.45 1.110 1.0665
3 1 2.37 0.43 1.040 1.0191
4 2 3.66 0.56 1.741 2.0496
5 2 3.67 0.57 1.730 2.0919
6 2 3.70 0.50 1.735 1.85
7 3 4.87 0.80 2.325 3.896
8 3 4.89 0.63 2.322 3.0807
9 3 4.94 0.50 2.361 2.47

The table above indicates dissimilarity between the predicted range and the actual range. The predicted range was
determined using the formula 𝛥𝑥 = 𝑣
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5. How would the horizontal range change if the muzzle velocity was doubled? Explain
how you know.

If you were to double the muzzle velocity, the horizontal range would be extended. The distance
would travel more than before. This is because the distance depends on launch angle, air resistance
and gravitational acceleration.

6. How would the horizontal range change if the height from the ground was doubled?
Explain how you know.

Doubling the height from which a projectile is launched while keeping other factors constant, as the
muzzle velocity, launch angle, air resistance, and gravitational acceleration, would not directly affect
the horizontal range.

7. How would the horizontal range change if the mass of the ball was doubled? Explain
how you know.

If you double the mass of the ball, the horizontal range will generally stay the same. The mass of the
ball doesn't have a significant impact on the horizontal distance it can travel. It's more influenced by
factors like muzzle velocity and launch angle.

8. What effect are we able to ignore in this experiment? Explain.

In projectile motion experiments, we typically ignore the effects of air resistance. Air resistance can
make the calculations more complex. By neglecting air resistance, we can simplify the analysis and
focus on the fundamental principles of projectile motion.