P5c: Projectile Motion

Many sports involve throwing, striking or kicking a ball. We are more than familiar with the path taken by a ball that is thrown to us, yet to have our hands in the right position to catch it, requires our brain to analyse the situation very quickly. The shape of the path or ‘trajectory’ together with the calculations behind this are considered here. Trajectories taken by golf balls and cricket balls can be illustrated by using ICT for teaching and learning. The ‘pearls in the air’ demonstration provides experience of scientific models.