Projectile Motion in the Language of Orbital Motion

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    Abstract

    We consider the orbit of projectiles launched with arbitrary speeds from the Earth's surface. This is a generalization of Newton's discussion about the transition from parabolic to circular orbits, when the launch speed approaches the value [\nu =\sqrt{g R_{E}}]. We find the range for arbitrary launch speeds and angles, and calculate the eccentricity of the elliptical orbits.

    Original languageAmerican English
    JournalEuropean Journal of Physics
    Volume32
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Jul 1 2011

    Disciplines

    • Physics

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