Group Project

How are the principles of projectile motion applied in badminton?

Projectile motion is a form of motion where an object is thrown at an angle not equal to 90 and it moves along a curved path due to gravity. The principles of projectile motion are applied in badminton. The motion of a shuttlecock in play can be demonstrated by the concept of projectile motion. The shuttlecock can be considered as a projectile and it follows a path called the trajectory.

The trajectory of a shuttlecock is similar to the diagram below, where the horizontal component of its velocity stays the same while the vertical velocity changes due to gravity. The vertical component of velocity undergoes a positive acceleration until the projectile reaches its maximum height where the vertical component becomes zero, and then the velocity accelerates negatively.

 

 

Factors affecting the trajectory include gravity, air resistance, speed of release, angle of release, height of release. In this case, the effect of air resistance can be neglected, since the acceleration of the shuttlecock is only caused by gravity. The gravity on earth is the same which is 9.8m/s². We will focus on air resistance, speed of release, angle of release, height of release.

 

First, the angle of release has a great impact on the trajectory of the shuttlecock. As the angle increases, the range (horizontal distance that the shuttlecock travels) increases and vice versa.  However, the speed of release has to stays the same. For example, if the angle of release is 30 degrees, the initial velocity is 15 m/s and the time is 2 seconds

The range can be calculated using the formula, Dx = Vix × t

Dx = (15m/s)cos30° × 2s = 26m

If the angle of release increases to 40 degrees whiles the other values stay the same. The range will decrease to 23m. Dx = (15m/s)cos40° × 2s = 23m

 

 



Second, the speed at which the shuttlecock is released influences its trajectory. The harder the shuttlecock is being hit, the larger initial velocity (speed of release) and therefore increasing both the vertical and horizontal distance it will travel. The less strength you put in hitting it, the smaller the distance that will result.  

Finally, the height of release also plays an important role in the trajectory of the shuttlecock. The higher the level of release, the greater the distance covered in flight. This is because the higher it is released, the longer it will stay in the air and therefore the horizontal component of the force will be acting on the shuttlecock for a longer period of time. This means that if a person jumps up and hit the shuttlecock at a very high level above the ground, the birdy will go further in distance.

In conclusion, understanding the concept of projectile motion will help us to play badminton better.

Emma’s Reflection

This is the first time I have ever taken regular physic course. Last year, I was in the IB Physics SL 11 class. I found that IB is not suitable for me since I am not considering going to study in the States. Last year, I did very well in IB physics. My final mark is an A. So I have confident that I can do well this year in regular physics class. However, having too much confidence is not really a good thing because I found that I am not spending as much time in studying and doing questions as last year. This is because I thought that I have already learned these stuff last year that I don't need to study as much. In fact, i found that I have forgotten "everything" because I have not look at physics stuff since summer break started. I need to refresh my memories. Moreover, a lot of the things I learned this year are different from what I have learned last year. This is because there are many different methods for solving a single question.

From now on, I will spend more time on studying and doing practice questions. I also have difficulties in memorizing formulas. Although the formula sheet is provided during tests, there are still a few formulas that are not on the formula sheet. I found it very difficult on memorizing formulas and I often mix up different formulas. Sometimes, I even mix up the positive/negative sign of a value and I will end up messing up the whole calculation and get an incorrect answer.

I found that doing practice questions is a very effective way to learn. It will not only help you to understand the concept and be more familiar with different kind of cases, but it will also help you to memorize the specific formulas that are used in solving that kind of questions.

Melissa’s Reflection

It has been two months since I took physics 12 in this school. I learnt a lot within these two months. I learned about vector, kinetics, projectile motion, how to calculate the magnitudes and directions. I faced some difficulties while i was studying physics. Sometimes, I don’t get the question and i have a difficult time on drawing the diagram out. Without the help of diagrams, it is impossible for me to finish the physics question. Secondly, for substituting the values into the equation, i always mix up the initial and final velocity. Thirdly, i had difficulties on calculating the horizontal velocity Vx and vertical velocity Vy.

In order to solve all my problems and have a good result on the test, I did many questions about velocity, motions kinetics, vector and magnitude... until i get used to the format of the questions. If I don’t understand a question, i usually ask my teacher for advises and ways to solve the problems. After practising for a while, my understanding of questions improved and can draw diagrams right after reading the question.  I can also calculate V_x and V_y immediately by using cosine, sine or tangent. Finally, my weakness that I have to improve is lack of understanding of a question and strength is using formulae to find the results of the questions.