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Projectile motion: experimental datasets and classroom exercises

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Projectile motion: experimental datasets and classroom exercises. / Wadsworth, Fabian B; Vasseur, Jérémie; Foster, Annabelle et al.
In: Physics Education, Vol. 60, No. 4, 045024, 31.07.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Wadsworth, FB, Vasseur, J, Foster, A, Smith, APW, Byatt, NA, Allgood, C, Loisel, A, Bintang, F, Squirrell, D, Paine, A, Bretagne, E, Brown, J, Winstanley, R, Lavallée, Y, Brown, RJ & Kueppers, U 2025, 'Projectile motion: experimental datasets and classroom exercises', Physics Education, vol. 60, no. 4, 045024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/add2c5

APA

Wadsworth, F. B., Vasseur, J., Foster, A., Smith, A. P. W., Byatt, N. A., Allgood, C., Loisel, A., Bintang, F., Squirrell, D., Paine, A., Bretagne, E., Brown, J., Winstanley, R., Lavallée, Y., Brown, R. J., & Kueppers, U. (2025). Projectile motion: experimental datasets and classroom exercises. Physics Education, 60(4), Article 045024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/add2c5

Vancouver

Wadsworth FB, Vasseur J, Foster A, Smith APW, Byatt NA, Allgood C et al. Projectile motion: experimental datasets and classroom exercises. Physics Education. 2025 Jul 31;60(4):045024. Epub 2025 Jun 10. doi: 10.1088/1361-6552/add2c5

Author

Wadsworth, Fabian B ; Vasseur, Jérémie ; Foster, Annabelle et al. / Projectile motion : experimental datasets and classroom exercises. In: Physics Education. 2025 ; Vol. 60, No. 4.

Bibtex

@article{5713b36523484304afdd529305ff0ee3,
title = "Projectile motion: experimental datasets and classroom exercises",
abstract = "The motion of a projectile is a classic topic and is used to illustrate physical and mathematical concepts and techniques. Despite the ubiquity of this problem in pedagogic contexts, there exist few available laboratory datasets and step-by-step exercises for how to use them for teaching at a wide range of levels—from high school through to college/university. Such datasets are particularly important for virtual learning environments where primary data collection may not be possible. Here, we present such a dataset for use with physics and science classes at a range of levels. We provide (1) derivations of the equations of motion, (2) experimental data for projectile motion at a wide range of launch angles and velocities to test predictions from the equations of motion, and (3) analysis steps for comparing theory with experiment. We discuss alternative and extension activities for both mathematical and experimental approaches, as well as a wide range of real-world applications of this problem. Taken together, we propose that this is a learning package that can be adapted for many teaching scenarios.",
keywords = "undergraduate physics, online learning, high-school physics, virtual learning, ballistics",
author = "Wadsworth, {Fabian B} and J{\'e}r{\'e}mie Vasseur and Annabelle Foster and Smith, {Alex P W} and Byatt, {Nathan A} and Ceri Allgood and Ariane Loisel and Fakhri Bintang and David Squirrell and Alice Paine and Elo{\"i}se Bretagne and Joshua Brown and Rebecca Winstanley and Yan Lavall{\'e}e and Brown, {Richard J} and Ulrich Kueppers",
year = "2025",
month = jul,
day = "31",
doi = "10.1088/1361-6552/add2c5",
language = "English",
volume = "60",
journal = "Physics Education",
issn = "0031-9120",
publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Projectile motion

T2 - experimental datasets and classroom exercises

AU - Wadsworth, Fabian B

AU - Vasseur, Jérémie

AU - Foster, Annabelle

AU - Smith, Alex P W

AU - Byatt, Nathan A

AU - Allgood, Ceri

AU - Loisel, Ariane

AU - Bintang, Fakhri

AU - Squirrell, David

AU - Paine, Alice

AU - Bretagne, Eloïse

AU - Brown, Joshua

AU - Winstanley, Rebecca

AU - Lavallée, Yan

AU - Brown, Richard J

AU - Kueppers, Ulrich

PY - 2025/7/31

Y1 - 2025/7/31

N2 - The motion of a projectile is a classic topic and is used to illustrate physical and mathematical concepts and techniques. Despite the ubiquity of this problem in pedagogic contexts, there exist few available laboratory datasets and step-by-step exercises for how to use them for teaching at a wide range of levels—from high school through to college/university. Such datasets are particularly important for virtual learning environments where primary data collection may not be possible. Here, we present such a dataset for use with physics and science classes at a range of levels. We provide (1) derivations of the equations of motion, (2) experimental data for projectile motion at a wide range of launch angles and velocities to test predictions from the equations of motion, and (3) analysis steps for comparing theory with experiment. We discuss alternative and extension activities for both mathematical and experimental approaches, as well as a wide range of real-world applications of this problem. Taken together, we propose that this is a learning package that can be adapted for many teaching scenarios.

AB - The motion of a projectile is a classic topic and is used to illustrate physical and mathematical concepts and techniques. Despite the ubiquity of this problem in pedagogic contexts, there exist few available laboratory datasets and step-by-step exercises for how to use them for teaching at a wide range of levels—from high school through to college/university. Such datasets are particularly important for virtual learning environments where primary data collection may not be possible. Here, we present such a dataset for use with physics and science classes at a range of levels. We provide (1) derivations of the equations of motion, (2) experimental data for projectile motion at a wide range of launch angles and velocities to test predictions from the equations of motion, and (3) analysis steps for comparing theory with experiment. We discuss alternative and extension activities for both mathematical and experimental approaches, as well as a wide range of real-world applications of this problem. Taken together, we propose that this is a learning package that can be adapted for many teaching scenarios.

KW - undergraduate physics

KW - online learning

KW - high-school physics

KW - virtual learning

KW - ballistics

U2 - 10.1088/1361-6552/add2c5

DO - 10.1088/1361-6552/add2c5

M3 - Journal article

VL - 60

JO - Physics Education

JF - Physics Education

SN - 0031-9120

IS - 4

M1 - 045024

ER -