Mission VP9: Velocity Components for a Projectile

Mission VP9 requires that you interpret a velocity vector diagram and calculate the values of the x- and y-component of a projectile's velocity. The mission consists of 36 questions organized into 9 Question Groups. You must answer one question from each Question Group to complete the mission. The learning outcomes for this mission are ...
 

Learning Outcomes

• The student should be able to interpret a velocity vector diagram for a projectile in order to predict the relative magnitude of the horizontal and vertical velocity components at various times during the trajectory.
• The student should be able to determine the magnitudes of the horizontal and vertical velocity components of a projectile.

 

Launch Mission VP9

 

Getting Help

If you are not familiar with this topic, then you should first learn about the topic using our written Tutorial or our Video Tutorial:

The Physics Classroom, Vectors and Motion in Two Dimensions Unit, Lesson 2, Part c

• Does the horizontal velocity of a projectile change during its trajectory?
• Does the vertical velocity of a projectile change during its trajectory?
• In which direction is the horizontal velocity of a projectile directed?
• In which direction is the vertical velocity of a projectile directed?
• What would a velocity vector diagram look like for a horizontally-launched projectile?
• What would a velocity vector diagram look like for a non-horizontally-launched projectile?
• How can the magnitude of a projectile's horizontal velocity be determined from its initial value and the time?
• How can the magnitude of a projectile's vertical velocity be determined from its initial value and the time?

 

Video Tutorials:

Velocity Components of a Projectile

  

 

 

Question-Specific Help

Each Question Group has its own Help page with information specific to the question. You can access the Help page from within the mission by tapping on the Help Me! icon (textbook). For your convenience, links to those pages are provided below: