Unit 4. Projectile Motion

In unit three we learned about kinematics mostly just on one axis at a time. That seemed really easy and I was thinking how hard could this be, turns out, really hard. Today we learned about kinematics but using two axes. At first it was very confusing, although it is around us everyday the thought of something going forward or backward and down or up at the same time is very mind blowing. An example that we used in class is when Mr. Blake threw two pens. One he dropped straight down, he somewhat threw the other one forward. At first everyone thought that the one that went straight down would drop first but actually they landed at the same time. Next we learned about the "Vegas Rule", what happens in vegas stays in vegas. Except we changed it a little, now it was what happens on the x axis stays on the x axis and what happens on the y axis stays on the y axis. This rule applies because it tells us that even if the x axis is constant then the y axis can still be accelerating. One example that I thought of this surfing. You can be on a tiny wave, like the ones I attempt to ride, and be moving at a constant velocity then as I normally do you lose your balance and fall off the side of your board. For a split second before you hit the water you are actually moving both forward and down. I think I now understand how to figure things out even if they use both axes and hopefully I will remember it tomorrow for the test.