ExploreSims
ExploreSims / Physics / Mechanics / Projectile Motion

PHYSICS • MECHANICS

Projectile Motion

Change launch conditions and watch the path respond immediately. The ideal model below ignores air resistance so the horizontal and vertical components can be studied clearly.

● LIVE EXPERIMENTEarth • ideal trajectory
Elapsed time0.00 s
Range0.00 m
Maximum height0.00 m
Flight time0.00 s

What is projectile motion?

Projectile motion is the two-dimensional motion of an object acted on by gravity. In the ideal model, horizontal velocity stays constant while vertical velocity changes continuously because of gravitational acceleration.

Try an experiment

  1. Choose Earth and set the launch speed to 24 m/s.
  2. Compare the range at 30°, 45° and 60°.
  3. Notice how complementary angles can produce the same range in the ideal model.
  4. Switch to the Moon without changing the launch settings and compare the flight time and distance.
Teacher-friendly: the current velocity, angle and gravity are encoded into the Share URL, so a configured experiment can be sent directly to students.