170 – Parabola of throwing

Oblique throw  

Trajectory of a projectile

Introduction to:

ballistics, parabola, trajectory  

Material:   

• water hose / garden hose / water sprayer  

The movie shows a very strong water jet generated by a pump to circulate the water in a pond.  

Instructions:  

Make sure the water jet is narrow but powerful. Keep the nozzle pointed upward at an angle.  

Observation:  

The water jet forms a parabolic arc. 

Tip:  

Catch the jet in a large bowl, or experiment outdoors.   

Didactic potential:  

•  Assuming a constant acceleration due to gravity, the trajectory can be derived theoretically. With the ” method of small steps”, a numerical approximation method, it can also be simulated well.  
•  A “throwing machine”, which you can also build yourself with a little effort, can bring a projectile on a parabolic trajectory to the target.  
• Suitable for holistic physics, i.e. for an interaction of theory, simulation and experiment.  
• Particularly suitable for inspiring boys, as they often have a special interest in throwing and shooting.