What is meant by the flight path of a projectile? Flight path of projectile is the path an object or person will take while being suspended in mid-air. The path of the object depends on different variables, which we call range.
To break it down into something other then physical activities for now, let's use an airplane for example. An airplane is leaving Philadelphia International Airport with a destination of Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Before this plane leaves the ground, it has to have a flight plan with different variables (ranges). A flight plan consists of the path the plane will take, the average speed the plane will be flying, the number of passenger it will carry, the estimated weight of the plane with passengers, how much fuel is needed for the plane, the angle and altitude the plane will be flying, and how long it will take for the plane to get to its destination.
Keeping the airplane example in mind, lets put a flight path of a projectile using ranges (speed, spin, gravity, etc) into a physical activity.
Four factors affect the flight path and range of the object.
1. flight time
2. horizontal displacement
3. vertical displacement
4. trajectory (speed, angle, height of release of object)
A freestyle skier performs a double full jump. The skier is the object and will be the projectile. The skier's flight path of projectile will consist of being horizontal at first and moving with some speed before hitting the ramp to get more height. The skier will then become airborne at an angle allowing her to go into flips or spins before landing back in a horizontal position.
