Projectile Motion Splits Into Two Independent Parts

Lab Brief #8

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

What you'll learn

A projectile's horizontal and vertical motions are independent. Horizontally there is no acceleration, so velocity stays constant; vertically gravity accelerates it downwards. Solve each direction separately and share only the time between them.

Key words

projectile
An object moving under gravity alone after being launched.
trajectory
The curved path a projectile follows, a parabola when air resistance is ignored.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

marble
table
tape measure
carbon paper or sand tray

⚠️ Safety first

Clear the floor so nobody slips on a stray marble.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "projectile" and "trajectory" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Roll a marble off the edge of a table and mark where it lands. Measure the table height and the horizontal range. Use the height to find the fall time, then divide range by that time to get the launch speed. Repeat with a faster roll and check the time is unchanged.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

A ball is rolled off a table faster. Its time to hit the floor:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Ignoring air resistance, a projectile's horizontal velocity:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Frames of Reference and Relative Velocity All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Projectile Motion Splits Into Two Independent Parts

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