Unit 4 Post - 6/23: From X to Y; Accelerate All Over

Projectile motion takes the idea of acceleration one step further because it describes motion on both the x and y axes and their relationship with each other. One of my favorite things about this unit is the challenge of extracting information from word problems because it helps you to think critically and logically about the science behing what you're exploring. I  really enjoy the challenge of combining the logic of the world and the scientific rules of science. This is one of those rare times in school where I value what I'm learning because it's not just pointless and insignificant to the reality of my life.

The following series of pictures is basically exactly what we did in learning about projectiles and movement on the x and y axis. In the first picture, the ball is traveling with no acceleration along the x axis only. In the second, the same is true, but as it approaches the drop gravity's acceleration begins to take ove. In the third picture, the ball is now traveling along the y axis as it falls accelerating at gravity's rate of 9.8 m/s^2 which means a new velocity as well! In the last picture, the ball is about to hit the ground and has long since finished traveling along the x axis and is about to finish traveling along the y axis. The ball took the same amount of time to go the distance of the x axis as it did the y axis; that's physics baby.