Projectile Motion Formula Sheet:

Vector Formulas:

𝒗𝒙 = 𝑣 cos 𝜃 𝒗𝒚 = 𝑣 sin 𝜃

𝑣𝑦
𝒗 = √𝑣𝑥 2 + 𝑣𝑦 2 𝜽 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ( )
𝑣𝑥

Height of the Cliff/Building:

1
𝒉 = 𝑔𝑡 2
2

Range: cos 0° = 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣𝑜 = 𝑣𝑥

2ℎ
𝑹 = 𝑣𝑥 𝑡 𝑹 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡 𝑹 = 𝑣𝑜 √
𝑔
Displacement:
𝒅𝒙 = 𝑥𝐹 − 𝑥𝑜 𝒅𝒚 = 𝑦𝐹 − 𝑦𝑜

1
Facts to Know 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡 𝒅𝒚 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 2
2
1. 𝑣𝑜 = 𝑣𝑥 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
2. 𝑣𝑦𝑜 = 0
3. 𝑎𝑦 = −𝑔 = −9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2 𝑔𝑡 2
𝒅 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 √1 + ( ) 𝒅 = √𝑑𝑥 2 + 𝑑𝑦 2
4. 𝑔 = +9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2 2𝑣𝑜
5. 𝜃 = 0° 𝑎𝑛𝑑 cos 0° = 1
Final Vertical Velocity:
Derived Equations:
_______________________________ 𝒗𝒚𝑭 = −𝑔𝑡
Initial Velocity:
Final Velocity:
𝑔 𝑣𝑜
𝒗𝒐 = 𝑅 √ 𝒗𝑭 = √𝑣𝑜 2 + (𝑔𝑡)2 𝒗𝑭 = √𝑣𝑜 2 − 2𝑔𝑑𝑦 𝜽𝑭 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 −1 ( )
2ℎ 𝑣𝑓
Note: dy is negative when the projectile is falling. (g = +9.8)
_____________________________
Range Vs Time: Time to Reach the Ground:

𝑅1 𝑅2
= 2ℎ 𝑅 𝑣𝑦𝐹 √𝑣𝐹 2 − 𝑣𝑜 2
𝑡1 𝑡2 𝒕=√ = = =
𝑔 𝑣𝑜 −𝑔 𝑔
 Point A:
𝒗𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝒗𝒚𝒐 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃

𝑣𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑦 9.8 𝑚⁄𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑.

𝑣𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡.
Point B:
𝑣𝑦 = 0 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑥

All Points:
𝑎𝑦 = −𝑔 = −9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑔 = +9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2
Height: Range:
2 2(
𝑣𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃) 𝑅 tan 𝜃 𝑣𝑦𝑜 2 𝑣𝑜 2 sin(2𝜃) 2𝑣𝑥 𝑣𝑦𝑜 4𝐻
𝑯= = = 𝑹= = =
2𝑔 4 2𝑔 𝑔 𝑔 tan 𝜃

𝑣𝑜 2 𝑣𝑜 2
𝑯𝑴𝒂𝒙 = 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝜃 = 90° 𝑹𝑴𝒂𝒙 = 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝜃 = 45°
2𝑔 𝑔

Time of Flight: Initial Angle:

4𝐻 2𝑔𝐻 1 𝑅𝑔
𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 2𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝜽𝒐 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ( ) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 (√ 2 ) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 ( 2 )
𝒕𝑨→𝑩 = 𝒕𝑨→𝑪 = 𝑅 𝑣𝑜 2 𝑣𝑜
𝑔 𝑔

Velocity Components: Equation of Trajectory:

𝑔𝑥 2
𝒗𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝒗𝒚 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 − 𝑔𝑡 𝒚 = 𝑥 tan 𝜃 −
2𝑣𝑜 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 (𝜃)

Note: 𝑥 = 𝑑𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦 = 𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑓 (𝑥𝑜 , 𝑦𝑜 ) 𝑖𝑠 (0, 0).

Initial Velocity: Final Velocity:
𝒗𝑭 = √𝑣𝑥𝐹 2 + 𝑣𝑦𝐹 2
𝑅𝑔 √2𝑔𝐻 𝑔𝑡𝐴→𝐶
𝒗𝒐 = √ = =
sin(2𝜃) sin 𝜃 2 sin 𝜃
𝒗𝑭 = √𝑣𝑜 2 − 2𝑔𝑡𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 + (𝑔𝑡)2

Position: Displacement:
𝒙𝑭 = 𝑥𝑜 + 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡 1
1 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡 𝒅𝒚 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 2
2
𝒚𝑭 = 𝑦0 + 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 2
2
𝒅 = √𝑑𝑥 2 + 𝑑𝑦 2
Position Vector: (𝑥𝑜 , 𝑦𝑜 ) → (0, 0)

⃗ = [𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡]𝒊 + [𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 1⁄2 𝑔𝑡 2 ]𝒋

𝒓 𝑔𝑡 sin 𝜃 𝑔𝑡 2
𝒅 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡√1 − +( ⃗|
) = |𝒓
𝑣𝑜 2𝑣𝑜
⃗ = 𝑟𝑥 𝒊 + 𝑟𝑦 𝒋
𝒓 ⃗ | = √𝑟𝑥 2 + 𝑟𝑦 2
|𝒓
 Point A:
𝒗𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝒗𝒚𝒐 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃

𝑣𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑦 9.8 𝑚⁄𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑.

𝑣𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡.
Point B:
𝑣𝑦 = 0 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑥
All Points:
𝑎𝑦 = −𝑔 = −9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑔 = +9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒉 = 𝒚𝒐
Height: Range:
𝑣𝑜 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 (𝜃)
𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 = ℎ + 𝐻 = 𝑦𝑜 + 𝑅 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡
2𝑔

Time of Flight: Displacement:

1
𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 2𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡 𝒅𝒚 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 2
𝑡𝐴→𝐵 = 𝑡𝐵→𝐶 =√ 2
𝑔 𝑔

𝒅 = √𝑑𝑥 2 + 𝑑𝑦 2
𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 2𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑡𝐴→𝐶 = +√
𝑔 𝑔
𝑔𝑡 sin 𝜃 𝑔𝑡 2
𝒅 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡√1 − +( ⃗|
) = |𝒓
𝑣𝑜 2𝑣𝑜
𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 + √𝑣𝑜 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 (𝜃) + 2𝑔𝑦𝑜
𝑡𝐴→𝐶 =
𝑔
_________________________________________________ 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑥𝐹 − 𝑥𝑜 𝒅𝒚 = 𝑦𝐹 − 𝑦𝑜
Equation of Trajectory: ____________________________________________
𝑔𝑥 2 Position:
𝒚 = 𝑥 tan 𝜃 − 𝒙𝑭 = 𝑥𝑜 + 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡
2𝑣𝑜 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 (𝜃)
1
Note: 𝑥 = 𝑑𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦 = 𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑓 (𝑥𝑜 , 𝑦𝑜 ) 𝑖𝑠 (0, 0). 𝒚𝑭 = 𝑦0 + 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 2
2
Velocity Components: Position Vector:

𝒗𝒙 = 𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝒗𝒚 = 𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 − 𝑔𝑡 ⃗ = [𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃 𝑡]𝒊 + [𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 1⁄2 𝑔𝑡 2 ]𝒋

𝒓

Initial Velocity: Initial Angle:

𝑅 √2𝑔(𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 − ℎ) 1⁄2 𝑔𝑡 2 − 𝑦𝑜 𝑅 √2𝑔(𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑦𝑜)

𝑣𝑜 = = = 𝜽𝒐 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 −1 ( ) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 ( )
𝑡 cos 𝜃 sin 𝜃 𝑡 sin 𝜃 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 𝑣𝑜

Final Velocity: 1⁄2 𝑔𝑡 2 − 𝑦𝑜 1⁄2 𝑔𝑡 2 − 𝑦𝑜

𝜽𝒐 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 ( ) = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ( )
𝑣𝑜 cos 𝜃𝑜 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 𝑅
𝒗𝑭 = √𝑣𝑥𝐹 2 + 𝑣𝑦𝐹 2 𝜽𝑭 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 −1 ( )
𝑣𝑓 ____________________________________________
Height of the Building:
𝑣𝑦 1
𝒗𝑭 = √𝑣𝑜 2 − 2𝑔𝑡𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 + (𝑔𝑡)2 𝜽𝑭 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ( ) ℎ = |𝑑𝑦 | = |𝑣𝑜 sin 𝜃 𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 2 |
𝑣𝑥 2