A thrown ball follows a parabolic path
Activity 130D: Demonstration
Demonstration
A student or the teacher throws a small ball and matches its flight to a projection
of a parabola produced on a screen.
You will need
- overhead projector transparency of a parabola
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- overhead projector
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- screen
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- small ball
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- some practice!!!!!
What to do
1. Print out this, or another parabola, onto an OHT.
2. Project the image of a parabola onto a screen or wall and throw
the ball so that its shadow follows the same path.
For success, lob the ball as if trying to land it on an imaginary
'shelf' at the top of the parabola.
