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Golf Range Gizmo
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AP Physics, Gizmo simulation answers
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Name: Jakob Date:Student Exploration: Golf Range Part 2
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
PART C Get the Gizmo ready:
● Click Clear paths and select Atmosphere: None.
Physics of ● Turn off Show grid and Show paths.
projectile motion ● You will need a scientific calculator for this activity.
Introduction: Velocity is an example of a vector quantity because it describes the speed and direction of an
object. The velocity of an object through space can be shown by two components: a horizontal component (vx)
and a vertical component (vy).
Question: How does the velocity of an object change as it flies through space?
1. Observe: Click Reset. Turn on Show velocity vector and Show velocity components. Set vinitial to 50
m/s and set θ to 45.0 degrees. Click Play. Focus on the blue and red arrows that represent the vertical and
horizontal components of the golf ball’s velocity.
A. As the ball flies through the air, what do you It decreases. reaches 0, and then increases
notice about the blue (vertical) arrow?
B. As the ball flies through the air, what do you it stays constant
notice about the red (horizontal) arrow?
C. Try other velocities and launch angles. Do these yes
results hold up?
2. Calculate: You can use trigonometry to find the initial horizontal and vertical components of the ball’s
velocity. Take out your calculator now. Click Reset, and turn off Show velocity vector and Show velocity
components. Set vinitial to 50.0 m/s and θ to 60.0 degrees.
A. To calculate vx, multiply vinitial by the cosine of the angle: vx = vinitial • cos(θ): 25
B. To calculate vy, multiply vinitial by the sine of the angle: vy = vinitial • sin(θ): 43.3
C. Turn on Show velocity components. Were you correct? no
3. Analyze: An object flying through the air is said to be in free fall. As you observed, the horizontal
component of velocity (vx) does not change as the object moves, but the vertical component (vy) decreases
over time. (Note: Air resistance is not included in this model.)
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, A. What force causes vy to change as the golf ball Gravity
travels?
B. Why doesn’t vx change as the object travels? Because of no air resistance
(Hint: Are there any horizontal forces acting on
the ball?)
4. Set up Gizmo: Acceleration is a change in velocity. As the ball moves through its trajectory, it undergoes a
downward acceleration due to the force of gravity. To calculate the acceleration of a falling object, divide
the velocity change by the time interval.
a = (vcurrent – vinitial) / t
Set vinitial to 75.0 m/s and θ to 60.0 degrees. Record the initial vertical velocity of the golf ball in the first row of
the table below. Include all units.
Time (s) vy (m/s)
0.00 s 0 m/s
11.50 s -50.09 m/s
5. Gather data: Click Play, and then click Pause ( ) at some point before the ball reaches its peak height.
Record the time and vy in the table.
6. Calculate: Compute the velocity difference by subtracting the initial velocity from the current velocity (your
answer should be a negative number). Then divide this number by the time to find the acceleration. (Units
of acceleration are meters per second per second, or m/s2.)
Velocity difference: -21 Time: 11.5s Acceleration: 1.8 m/s/s
7. Compare: Turn on Advanced features and observe the value of g, a measure of gravitational acceleration.
Gravitational acceleration is the negative of g: a = – g.
Is the value of g equal to the negative of the acceleration you measured? Yes
8. Experiment: Click Reset. Try launching the ball with different values of g. How does the value of g affect
the flight of the ball?
lower vertical distance and higher horizontal distance
9. Apply: One of the problems aeronautical engineers face is building rockets that generate enough thrust to
escape Earth’s gravitational field. How would this problem be affected if the rocket was launched from the
Moon? From a massive planet such as Jupiter?
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
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