Ever wondered why a football follows a curved path when...
Physics109 views·Updated 14 Jul 2026·3 pagesUnderstanding Dynamics: Motion in Physics (N5 Course)
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Horizontal Motion
Think of throwing a ball sideways - once it leaves your hand, nothing pushes it left or right anymore. That's exactly how horizontal motion works in projectiles.
Since there are no horizontal forces acting on a projectile after launch, it travels at a constant horizontal velocity. This means it covers the same horizontal distance every second throughout its entire flight.
The range (how far it travels horizontally) is calculated using the simple formula d = vt. Here, d is the horizontal distance in metres, v is the horizontal speed in m/s, and t is the time in seconds.
Quick Tip: On a velocity-time graph, horizontal motion appears as a straight horizontal line because the velocity never changes!
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Vertical Motion
Now here's where things get interesting - whilst moving horizontally at constant speed, projectiles are simultaneously falling due to gravity. This creates that classic curved flight path you see.
Gravity provides a constant vertical acceleration of 9.8 m/s² downwards on Earth. This means the projectile's vertical speed increases by 9.8 m/s every second it falls.
For vertical calculations, use the acceleration equation: a = /t. When something is thrown horizontally (like off a cliff), it starts with zero vertical velocity and accelerates downward until it hits the ground.
Remember: The vertical velocity-time graph shows a straight diagonal line because acceleration is constant - very different from the horizontal graph!
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of 3
Putting It All Together
Projectile motion is simply the combination of these two independent motions happening simultaneously. The horizontal component stays constant whilst the vertical component accelerates due to gravity.
Remember your key equations: d = vt for horizontal motion and a = /t for vertical motion. These will solve most projectile problems you'll encounter.
The beautiful curved path of any projectile - from a basketball shot to a rocket launch - results from this combination of constant horizontal velocity and constant vertical acceleration.
Exam Success: Always analyse horizontal and vertical motion separately first, then combine your results to solve the complete problem!
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Physics109 views·Updated 14 Jul 2026·3 pagesUnderstanding Dynamics: Motion in Physics (N5 Course)
Ever wondered why a football follows a curved path when you kick it, or how pilots calculate landing trajectories? Projectile motionis everywhere around us, and understanding it is simpler than you might think - it's just about breaking movement...
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Horizontal Motion
Think of throwing a ball sideways - once it leaves your hand, nothing pushes it left or right anymore. That's exactly how horizontal motion works in projectiles.
Since there are no horizontal forces acting on a projectile after launch, it travels at a constant horizontal velocity. This means it covers the same horizontal distance every second throughout its entire flight.
The range (how far it travels horizontally) is calculated using the simple formula d = vt. Here, d is the horizontal distance in metres, v is the horizontal speed in m/s, and t is the time in seconds.
Quick Tip: On a velocity-time graph, horizontal motion appears as a straight horizontal line because the velocity never changes!
2
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Vertical Motion
Now here's where things get interesting - whilst moving horizontally at constant speed, projectiles are simultaneously falling due to gravity. This creates that classic curved flight path you see.
Gravity provides a constant vertical acceleration of 9.8 m/s² downwards on Earth. This means the projectile's vertical speed increases by 9.8 m/s every second it falls.
For vertical calculations, use the acceleration equation: a = /t. When something is thrown horizontally (like off a cliff), it starts with zero vertical velocity and accelerates downward until it hits the ground.
Remember: The vertical velocity-time graph shows a straight diagonal line because acceleration is constant - very different from the horizontal graph!
3
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Putting It All Together
Projectile motion is simply the combination of these two independent motions happening simultaneously. The horizontal component stays constant whilst the vertical component accelerates due to gravity.
Remember your key equations: d = vt for horizontal motion and a = /t for vertical motion. These will solve most projectile problems you'll encounter.
The beautiful curved path of any projectile - from a basketball shot to a rocket launch - results from this combination of constant horizontal velocity and constant vertical acceleration.
Exam Success: Always analyse horizontal and vertical motion separately first, then combine your results to solve the complete problem!
We thought you’d never ask...
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
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