FallingTarget.html FallingTarget.mws Objects fall at the same rate. In each case we hit the target. This worksheet creates an animation for a common demonstration in an introductory Physics class. We will show that a projectile that is fired straight at a target, which begins to fall at the instant that the projectile is fired, will always hit the target.
Objects fall at the same rate.
Students tend to come into our introductory Physics classes with several misconceptions. With the use of this animation we are able to clarify one of the common misconceptions that students have. Warning, the name changecoords has been redefined Equations of motion for the projectile and the target From the kinematics equations with constant acceleration we can write equations of motion for each component of both the projectile and the target. We will use the animatecurve command to create our animations. Thus the projectile will get to the target before the target has fallen very much.