Horizontal Projectile
Consider a point P x( , y) at time t.
Distance Travelled in Horizontal Motion (HM) :
Since acceleration due to gravity acts along the vertical and hence, has got no component along the horizontal i.e., $a_x=0$.
So, horizontal motion is a non-accelerated motion with uniform velocity.
$$ \Rightarrow \quad x=u_x t=u t $$
Distance Travelled in Vertical Motion (VM)
$a_y=g$ and $u_y=0$
$$ \begin{aligned} &\Rightarrow y=\frac{1}{2} g t^2 \end{aligned} $$
Equation of Trajectory :
$$ y=\left(\frac{g}{2 u^2}\right) x^2 $$
which is the equation of a parabola.
Velocity at Any Instant ( $t$ ) in Horizontal Motion (HM) :
Since horizontal motion is non-accelerated,
$$ \Rightarrow v_x=u_x=u $$
Velocity at Any Instant ( $t$ ) in Vertical Motion (VM) :
$$ \begin{gathered} \Rightarrow \quad|\vec{v}|=v=\sqrt{u^2+g^2 t^2} \end{gathered} $$
If $\beta$ is the angle made by $\vec{v}$ with the horizontal, then
$$ \tan \beta=\frac{v_y}{v_x}=\frac{g t}{u} $$
Time of Flight (T) :
If $h$ is the distance of the ground from the point of launch, $T$ is the time taken to strike the ground, then
$$ \begin{aligned} h &=\frac{1}{2} g T^2 \\ \Rightarrow T &=\sqrt{\frac{2 h}{g}} \end{aligned} $$
Horizontal Range (R) :
$R$ is the range of the projectile when it hits the ground, then
$$ \begin{aligned} R=u T \\ \Rightarrow R &=u \sqrt{\frac{2 h}{g}} \end{aligned} $$
![](https://app-content.cdn.examgoal.net/fly/@width/image/1l9ph1dfr/68dff1ab-2d53-4efd-98e5-245a5662c227/c9fcde60-5515-11ed-ad1f-cb52778e49da/file-1l9ph1dfs.png?format=png)
Distance Travelled in Horizontal Motion (HM) :
Since acceleration due to gravity acts along the vertical and hence, has got no component along the horizontal i.e., $a_x=0$.
So, horizontal motion is a non-accelerated motion with uniform velocity.
$$ \Rightarrow \quad x=u_x t=u t $$
Distance Travelled in Vertical Motion (VM)
$a_y=g$ and $u_y=0$
$$ \begin{aligned} &\Rightarrow y=\frac{1}{2} g t^2 \end{aligned} $$
Equation of Trajectory :
$$ y=\left(\frac{g}{2 u^2}\right) x^2 $$
which is the equation of a parabola.
Velocity at Any Instant ( $t$ ) in Horizontal Motion (HM) :
Since horizontal motion is non-accelerated,
$$ \Rightarrow v_x=u_x=u $$
Velocity at Any Instant ( $t$ ) in Vertical Motion (VM) :
$$ \begin{gathered} \Rightarrow \quad|\vec{v}|=v=\sqrt{u^2+g^2 t^2} \end{gathered} $$
If $\beta$ is the angle made by $\vec{v}$ with the horizontal, then
$$ \tan \beta=\frac{v_y}{v_x}=\frac{g t}{u} $$
Time of Flight (T) :
If $h$ is the distance of the ground from the point of launch, $T$ is the time taken to strike the ground, then
$$ \begin{aligned} h &=\frac{1}{2} g T^2 \\ \Rightarrow T &=\sqrt{\frac{2 h}{g}} \end{aligned} $$
Horizontal Range (R) :
$R$ is the range of the projectile when it hits the ground, then
$$ \begin{aligned} R=u T \\ \Rightarrow R &=u \sqrt{\frac{2 h}{g}} \end{aligned} $$
OBLIQUE PROJECTILE
![](https://app-content.cdn.examgoal.net/fly/@width/image/1l9v5tv68/a4f10326-8a4c-45f7-87fd-58cc398e5fe8/a8b0f100-5836-11ed-a76c-e1fd50eb78cc/file-1l9v5tv69.png?format=png)
Trajectory: $y=x \tan \theta-\frac{g x^2}{2 u^2 \cos ^2 \theta}$
Time of flight: $T=\frac{2 u \sin \theta}{g}$
Maximum height: $H=\frac{u^2 \sin ^2 \theta}{2 g}$
Horizontal range: $R=\frac{u^2 \sin 2 \theta}{g}$
Different Situation in Projectile Motion
Case-1: Particle projected at an angle q above the
horizontal
The situation is shown in figure. In this case, we have
$$ y=-h, u_x=u \cos \theta, u_y=u \sin \theta \text { and } a_y=-g $$
Case-2 : Particle projected at an angle q below the horizontal
The situation is shown in figure. In this case, we have
$$ y=+h, u_x=u \cos \theta, u_y=+u \sin \theta \text { and } a_y=+g $$
![](https://app-content.cdn.examgoal.net/fly/@width/image/1l9wedn1l/4f0ec65f-10d6-4f7f-bd7b-ab5990674a85/e046fd90-58e4-11ed-a13e-b7d498996a10/file-1l9wedn1m.png?format=png)
The situation is shown in figure. In this case, we have
$$ y=-h, u_x=u \cos \theta, u_y=u \sin \theta \text { and } a_y=-g $$
Case-2 : Particle projected at an angle q below the horizontal
![](https://app-content.cdn.examgoal.net/fly/@width/image/1l9wej08a/fbdf5ad9-4335-44ae-ab2d-759dcb452935/75821d90-58e5-11ed-a799-1d6589511202/file-1l9wej08b.png?format=png)
The situation is shown in figure. In this case, we have
$$ y=+h, u_x=u \cos \theta, u_y=+u \sin \theta \text { and } a_y=+g $$
Relative Motion Between Two Projectiles/Motion of One Projectile as Seen from Another Projectile
Suppose that two particles are projected from the ground with speeds $u_1$ and $u_2$ at angles $\alpha_1$ and $\alpha_2$ as shown in figure. Acceleration of both the particles is $g$ downwards. So, relative acceleration between them is zero because
$$ a_{12}=a_1-a_2=g-g=\text { zero } $$
i.e., the relative motion between the two particles is uniform. Now,
$$ \begin{aligned} &\left(u_1\right)_x=u_1 \cos \alpha_1 \text { and }\left(u_2\right)_x=u_2 \cos \alpha_2 \\\\ &\left(u_1\right)_y=u_1 \sin \alpha_1 \text { and }\left(u_2\right)_y=u_2 \sin \alpha_2 \end{aligned} $$
Therefore,
$$ \left(u_{12}\right)_x=\left(u_1\right)_x-\left(u_2\right)_x=u_1 \cos \alpha_1-u_2 \cos \alpha_2 $$
and $\left(u_{12}\right)_y=\left(u_1\right)_y-\left(u_2\right)_y=u_1 \sin \alpha_1-u_2 \sin \alpha_2$
$\left(u_{12}\right)_x$ and $\left(u_{12}\right)_y$ are the $x$ and $y$ components of relative velocity of 1 with respect to 2 .
And $\theta=\tan ^{-1}\left[\frac{\left(u_{12}\right)_y}{\left(u_{12}\right)_x}\right]$ with positive $x$-axis.
$$ a_{12}=a_1-a_2=g-g=\text { zero } $$
![](https://app-content.cdn.examgoal.net/fly/@width/image/1l9wf97wk/9e9d7b3f-d9eb-40a7-bc52-6d8c80849feb/4e796930-58e8-11ed-9ffa-1b91399fd907/file-1l9wf97wl.png?format=png)
i.e., the relative motion between the two particles is uniform. Now,
$$ \begin{aligned} &\left(u_1\right)_x=u_1 \cos \alpha_1 \text { and }\left(u_2\right)_x=u_2 \cos \alpha_2 \\\\ &\left(u_1\right)_y=u_1 \sin \alpha_1 \text { and }\left(u_2\right)_y=u_2 \sin \alpha_2 \end{aligned} $$
![](https://app-content.cdn.examgoal.net/fly/@width/image/1l9wfdpnc/4019ed5e-0571-419e-bdf6-5be588638f51/cb6b0980-58e8-11ed-9ffa-1b91399fd907/file-1l9wfdpnd.png?format=png)
Therefore,
$$ \left(u_{12}\right)_x=\left(u_1\right)_x-\left(u_2\right)_x=u_1 \cos \alpha_1-u_2 \cos \alpha_2 $$
and $\left(u_{12}\right)_y=\left(u_1\right)_y-\left(u_2\right)_y=u_1 \sin \alpha_1-u_2 \sin \alpha_2$
$\left(u_{12}\right)_x$ and $\left(u_{12}\right)_y$ are the $x$ and $y$ components of relative velocity of 1 with respect to 2 .
And $\theta=\tan ^{-1}\left[\frac{\left(u_{12}\right)_y}{\left(u_{12}\right)_x}\right]$ with positive $x$-axis.