Shoot the Target

Thornridge High School

Shoot the Target

Mr. Sievers Physics classes at Thornridge used two Pasco launchers, a photogate, electromagnetic drop box, and a target to investigate a non-basic projectile motion problem and analyze the affect of gravity on a free falling object and a projectile. Students first had to determine the initial velocity (Vo) of the launcher by performing and solving a horizontal problem with the first launcher. Students horizontally launched the ball several times towards a target placed on the floor. Carbon paper provided marks on the target. They then measured their Dx and Dy to determine the Vo of the launcher. Then the students used a second launcher that was aimed at an angle above the horizontal at a target suspended from the ceiling by an electromagnet. When the ball was launched the target fell due to the ball passing through the photogate attached to the launcher. The ball and target collided “somewhere” above the floor. Their goal was to determine the height above the floor where the collision occurred and then using a board, target, and carbon paper, prove where the impact occurred. Once all experiments where performed, the students calculated and predicted within 8% accuracy of the actual impact location. This was an extensive lab and the students gained significant insight on projectile motion.