Projectile motion on an inclined plane and linear equations

In summary: The frequency of the spark timer was 50 Hz, meaning it recorded 50 dots on the paper every second. Therefore, each dot represents 1/50th of a second.In summary, during the lab demonstration, a puck was launched on an inclined air table using a spark timer. The horizontal acceleration was initially zero, but the puck was accelerated briefly in both the horizontal and vertical directions during the launching process. Afterwards, the acceleration was constant in both directions. The time for each dot on the paper was approximately 1/50th of a second, as determined by the 50 Hz frequency of the spark timer.
  • #1
krequi
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So we did a lab in class using an inclined air table, two pucks and a spark timer. Only one puck was used and we "launched" it in a way that when the spark timer was activated, it traced a parabola on the sheet of paper over the air table.
What I don't understand is: why is horizontal acceleration = 0? Apparently that's why acceleration is constant and therefore the initial velocity is 0 too. But if there were no horizontal acceleration, then the puck shouldn't have advanced in the first place because there are no forces acting on it...

Also, we have to figure out the time for each dot on the paper (there are about 100). The frequency of the spark timer was 50 Hz. We did not time how long it took for the puck to do the parabola. So I'm thinking that maybe every dot is one "cycle", and therefore each should be like 1/50th of a second? Does that make sense, if every 50 dots is one second?

Any help is welcome :)
 
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  • #2
What I don't understand is: why is horizontal acceleration = 0? Apparently that's why acceleration is constant and therefore the initial velocity is 0 too. But if there were no horizontal acceleration, then the puck shouldn't have advanced in the first place because there are no forces acting on it...
During the "launching" process, you accelerated the puck briefly in both the horizontal and vertical directions. This got the puck moving. After it was launched, the acceleration was constant in both directions--some fraction of g in the vertical, and zero (a constant) in the horizontal.
So I'm thinking that maybe every dot is one "cycle", and therefore each should be like 1/50th of a second? Does that make sense, if every 50 dots is one second?
Yes.
 

FAQ: Projectile motion on an inclined plane and linear equations

How does the angle of the inclined plane affect the projectile's motion?

The angle of the inclined plane affects the vertical and horizontal components of the projectile's motion. The steeper the angle, the greater the vertical acceleration and the shorter the horizontal distance traveled. As the angle becomes more shallow, the vertical acceleration decreases and the horizontal distance increases.

What is the equation for calculating the range of a projectile on an inclined plane?

The equation for calculating the range of a projectile on an inclined plane is:
R = (V02sin2θ)/g, where R is the range, V0 is the initial velocity, θ is the angle of the inclined plane, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

How is the velocity of a projectile affected by an inclined plane?

The velocity of a projectile on an inclined plane is affected by the angle of the plane and the initial velocity of the projectile. As the angle increases, the vertical velocity increases and the horizontal velocity decreases. The initial velocity also plays a role in determining the projectile's final velocity.

What are the similarities between projectile motion on an inclined plane and linear equations?

Both projectile motion on an inclined plane and linear equations involve the use of mathematical formulas and calculations. In both cases, the initial conditions (such as angle and initial velocity) and the forces acting on the object (such as gravity) are taken into account to determine the final outcome.

Can you explain the difference between projectile motion on an inclined plane and linear motion?

Projectile motion on an inclined plane involves the motion of an object along a curved path due to the influence of gravity. Linear motion, on the other hand, is the motion of an object along a straight line with a constant acceleration. In projectile motion on an inclined plane, the acceleration is not constant and is affected by the angle of the plane.

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