What's the concept of acceleration in horizontal and vertical projectile motion?
In horizontal projectile motion, the object experiences constant velocity in the horizontal direction. This means that the acceleration in the horizontal direction is zero, as there is no change in velocity.
In vertical projectile motion, the object is initially launched with an initial vertical velocity and experiences an acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration due to gravity is always directed downwards, and it is approximately equal to 9.8 meters per second squared near the Earth's surface.
The acceleration in vertical projectile motion is constant in magnitude and direction. It causes the object to continuously increase its velocity in the downward direction while it is moving upward, and to decrease its velocity in the upward direction while it is moving downward. At the highest point of its trajectory, the object's velocity in the vertical direction is zero, and it starts to fall back downward due to gravity.
In summary, the concept of acceleration in horizontal projectile motion is zero, while in vertical projectile motion, the object experiences a constant downward acceleration due to gravity.
In horizontal projectile motion, the concept of acceleration is straightforward. Since there are no horizontal forces acting on the object once it is in motion, the horizontal acceleration is zero. This means that the horizontal velocity remains constant throughout the motion.
In vertical projectile motion, the concept of acceleration is more significant. The only force acting on the object vertically is the force of gravity, which causes an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 downwards (assuming we are neglecting air resistance).
As a result, in vertical projectile motion, the object experiences a constant downward acceleration due to gravity, regardless of its initial velocity or angle of projection. This acceleration affects the object's vertical velocity and position over time.
The vertical acceleration causes the object to decrease its upward velocity until it comes to a momentarily stop at its highest point. Then, gravity causes the object to accelerate downward, increasing the downward velocity as it falls towards the ground. The magnitude of the velocity will increase at a constant rate (9.8 m/s^2) each second.
It's important to note that the horizontal and vertical motions are independent of each other in projectile motion. The acceleration is only affecting the vertical component while the horizontal component remains unaffected by any forces.
Acceleration in horizontal projectile motion is always zero because there is no change in the horizontal velocity of the projectile. This means that the object continues to move at a constant horizontal speed throughout its trajectory.
On the other hand, acceleration in vertical projectile motion is influenced by gravity. The only force acting on the object in vertical projectile motion is gravity, and it causes the object to accelerate downward at a constant rate of 9.8 m/s^2 (on Earth). This acceleration is also known as the acceleration due to gravity.
To calculate the vertical acceleration of a projectile, you can simply use the value of 9.8 m/s^2 or g, as it's commonly represented. However, it's essential to note that acceleration is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude (9.8 m/s^2) and direction (downward in this case).
In summary, horizontal projectile motion has zero acceleration since the horizontal speed remains constant. On the other hand, vertical projectile motion has downward acceleration due to gravity, which is a constant value.