Why projectile follow a curve path?

Answer 1

A projectile, launched by an initial force, such as exploding gunpowder in the barrel of a gun, travels in a straight line unless it is acted upon by another force. A projectile launched into the air from the earth's surface, is subject to the acceleration of gravity, which bends it's trajectory into a parabolic arc back to earth.

Answer 2

They have momentum, but also they are affected by gravity. That changes the path of the projectile into a curve. The actual shape of the curve is affected by air resistance, but that's a minor point.

Answer 3

Example: bullet fired from gun.

If you aim horizontally to the ground, gravity will cause the bullet to fall.

Once the bullet is shot from a gun, its motion can be described using vector components. All this means is that the speed of the bullet will have a vertical and horizontal part to it. A bullet in the air has no forces acting on it horizontally (neglecting air resistance). Vertically, gravity acts on the bullet and pulls the bullet down.

Since there is nothing pushing up on the bullet, the bullet will begin to fall due to gravity.

If you fire a bullet upwards at an angle, it is basically the same idea. The bullet is fired at an angle with an initial velocity. Break this velocity into horizontal and vertical parts using a triangle formed with the angle with which is was fired. The horizontal velocity of the bullet will not change. The vertical velocity of the bullet will change- gravity is decreasing it.

The bullet will move up, then move up more slowly, then stop moving up, then fall down slowly, fall down quickly, etc. While it is doing this, it will keep moving horizontally at the same speed, which gives you a curved shape.

They have horizontal velocity and vertical acceleration

Answer 4

An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted on by an opposing force. When you shoot a bullet for example that bullet would continue if it were not for the force of gravity. Gravity which is an attraction of one body of mass to another body of mass pulls the bullet to the earth. Therefore as the projectile goes straight and gravity pulls it down it forms the curved path you describe.

The path is curved because initially the force of the bullet flying outweights the force of gravity, but as gravity continues to pull on the projectile it starts influencing the projectile with increasing force hence the curve.

Answer 5

A projectile's path is the result of the nature of its velocity, which has a constant

horizontal component but an accelerated vertical component. The resultant path,

in the absence of air resistance, is a parabola.

Answer 6

The combination of an initial forward velocity and the downward vertical force of gravity causes the ball to follow a curved path

Answer 7

The direction of their motion changes, due to Earth's gravitation.

Answer 8

Projectiles move in curved paths because they have horizontal velocity and vertical acceleration.

Answer 9

The combination of an inward forward velocity and downward vertical force of gravity causes the ball to follow a curved path.