Fun Experiments to Learn About Projectile Motion in a 10th Grade Classroom

Doing experiments on projectile motion can help students learn the basics of how things move. This is about understanding how speed, angle, and distance are connected. Here are some cool experiments to try out:

1. Basic Launch Experiment

   • What You Need: A basketball, a launch ramp, a protractor, and a measuring tape.
   • What to Do: Set the launch ramp at different angles like 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 75°. Launch the basketball and measure how far it goes.
   • Data Collection: Write down the distance (in meters) for each angle.
   • What You’ll See: The path of the ball will look like a curve, and it will be the most pronounced when launched at a 45° angle.

2. Ball Drop Experiment

   • What You Need: A stopwatch, a ruler, and different types of balls (like a tennis ball and a basketball).
   • What to Do: Drop each of the balls from the same height (like 2 meters) and time how long it takes for them to hit the ground.
   • How to Analyze: You can use the formula $d = \frac{1}{2} g t^2$ to calculate how fast gravity pulls things down, where $g$ is about 9.81 meters per second squared.
   • What You’ll See: If there’s not much air resistance, all the balls will hit the ground at the same time!

3. Cannonball Launch

   • What You Need: A small cannon (or a spring-loaded toy), a measuring tape, and a protractor.
   • What to Do: Aim the cannon at angles like 30°, 45°, and 60° and launch it. Measure how far it goes each time.
   • Formulas: You can use the range formula for projectile motion: $R = \frac{v_0^2 \sin(2\theta)}{g}$ where $R$ is how far it went, $v_0$ is the speed when launched, and $\theta$ is the angle.
   • How to Analyze: Compare the distances you measured with the distances you calculated.

4. Air Resistance Experiment

   • What You Need: A paper airplane, a feather, and a stopwatch.
   • What to Do: Launch the paper airplane and the feather at the same time from the same height to see how air resistance affects them.
   • What You’ll See: The paper airplane will fly farther and faster than the feather. This is because the airplane is better at moving through the air.

These experiments help students see how projectile motion works. Plus, they make learning physics fun and hands-on!