About the lecture

In this mini-lecture, we discuss projectile motion, that is the motion of a projected object that moves along a curved path under the action of gravity only. As we move through this mini-lecture, we: (i) compare the understanding of projectile motion before and after Galileo accurately fine-tuned it; (ii) discuss how the horizontal and vertical components of projectile motion can be treated separately (assuming we neglect air resistance); (iii) derive the equations for the horizontal and vertical motion before combining them to express the motion with a single equation; and (iii) end with two exercises for students to try on their own.

About the lecturer

Derek Raine is an Emeritus Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester. His research has ranged over Relativity, Cosmology, General Relativistic Quantum Field Theory, Astrophysics, Biophysics, and education. Professor Raine was involved with the University of Leicester’s Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) research where he developed alternative approaches to teaching, including computer simulations, problem-based and research-based learning, flipped learning, and spaced repetition.