1999 Volume 4 Number 2
A multimedia Approach to Visualize Projectile Motion
With Air Resistance
Tilak de Alwis
Abstract: Consider a projectile fired from the ground level with an initial velocity
V ft/sec, at an angle O with the horizontal. Using Newton’s second law in physics,
one can show that in the absence of air resistance, the projectile follows the path of
a parabola. However, this is not quite true if the air resistance is take into account.
The mathematical models describing the equations of motion for the projectiles
with air resistance are usually complicated. However, such equations can be
analysed using today’s fast computers, combined with powerful computer algebra
systems (CAS). This paper describes how to use the multimedia capabilities of the
CAS Mathematica to visualize the projectile motion with air resistance. As a by-
product of the paper, we will also observe the role of a CAS as an experimentation
or a conjecture-forming tool in contemporary mathematics education and research.