When it comes to understanding the properties of motion and projectiles, it’s important to consider the effects of mass and speed on the path and trajectory of the projectile. In this article, we’ll explore what happens when three balls of different masses and speeds are thrown straight upward into the air.

What Is The Physics Behind It?

The physics behind this concept is fairly straightforward. When an object with mass is thrown, the initial speed with which it is thrown will affect the path and trajectory it takes. The more massive an object is, the more resistance it will experience due to gravity, which will result in a slower acceleration. The less massive an object is, the less resistance it will experience due to gravity, which will result in a faster acceleration.

Experiment Setup

For this experiment, three balls of different masses and initial speeds were used. The first ball has an initial speed of 10 m/s and a mass of 1.0 kg, the second ball has an initial speed of 15 m/s and a mass of 1.5 kg, and the third ball has an initial speed of 3 m/s and a mass of 0.8 kg. All three balls were then thrown straight upward.

Results

From fastest to slowest, the speeds of the three balls 1s after they were thrown were as follows: Ball A (10 m/s) had the highest speed, followed by Ball B (15 m/s), followed by Ball C (3 m/s). This is because Ball A had the lowest mass, resulting in a faster acceleration. Ball B was slightly more massive than Ball A, resulting in a slower acceleration. Finally, Ball C was the heaviest, resulting in the slowest acceleration.

Conclusion

This experiment shows that the speed of a projectile is strongly influenced by its mass. The more massive the projectile is, the slower it accelerates, and the less massive the projectile is, the faster it accelerates. By harnessing this knowledge, scientists and engineers can create more effective projectiles for a variety of applications.