published by
the Physics Education Technology Project
This webpage contains a simulation that allows the user to fire various objects out of a cannon. By manipulating angle, initial speed, mass, and air resistance, concepts of projectile motion are illustrated. This page also contains user-submitted suggestions of ideas and activities for this simulation. This item is part of a larger collection of simulations developed by the Physics Education Technology project (PhET). The simulations are animated, interactive, and game-like environments in which students learn through exploration. All of the simulations are freely available from the PhET web site for incorporation into classes.
6-8: 4F/M3a. An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or direction of motion, or both.
9-12: 4F/H1. The change in motion (direction or speed) of an object is proportional to the applied force and inversely proportional to the mass.
9-12: 4F/H8. Any object maintains a constant speed and direction of motion unless an unbalanced outside force acts on it.
11. Common Themes
11B. Models
6-8: 11B/M1. Models are often used to think about processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly. They are also used for processes that are too vast, too complex, or too dangerous to study.
9-12: 11B/H1a. A mathematical model uses rules and relationships to describe and predict objects and events in the real world.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Alignments
Standards for Mathematical Practice (K-12)
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
High School — Algebra (9-12)
Seeing Structure in Expressions (9-12)
A-SSE.1.b Interpret complicated expressions by viewing one or more of their parts as a single entity.
High School — Functions (9-12)
Linear, Quadratic, and Exponential Models? (9-12)
F-LE.2 Construct linear and exponential functions, including arithmetic and geometric sequences, given a graph, a description of a relationship, or two input-output pairs (include reading these from a table).
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