Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
KINEMATICS
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KINEMATICS
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Subject: Physics
Class: SHS 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 11
Grade code: 3.1.1.LI.5
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 2
Content standard code: 3.1.1.CS.3
Indicator code: 3.1.1.LI.5
Theme: MECHANICS AND MATTER
Subtheme: KINEMATICS
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Welcome, future scientists and engineers! In SHS1 and SHS2, we studied motion in a straight line (linear motion). We learned about displacement, velocity, and acceleration. Today, we take that knowledge into the real world by studying motion in two dimensions: Projectile Motion. Think about Asamoah Gyan's famous free-kicks, a mango falling from a tree as you throw a stone at it, or even water spraying from a hose to water a garden. All these are examples of projectile motion. Understanding this topic is fundamental to many fields, from sports science to military technology and even space exploration. It helps us predict where a moving object will land and how long it will take to get there.
2.1 What is a Projectile?
A projectile is any object that is thrown, kicked, or otherwise launched into the air and allowed to move under the influence of gravity alone. The path that the projectile follows is called its trajectory, which is typically a parabola.
Key Assumptions: To simplify our calculations, we make two important assumptions: Air resistance is negligible. In reality, air pushes back on moving objects, but for many dense, slow-moving objects, its effect is small enough to ignore for our calculations. The acceleration due to gravity (g) is constant and acts vertically downwards. We will use `g = 9.8 m/s²` or `10 m/s²` as specified in the problem. 2.2 The Secret: Separating Horizontal and Vertical Motion
The most important concept in understanding projectile motion is that the horizontal motion and the vertical motion are independent of each other. We can analyse them separately.