Answer:
The motion of a projectile consists of two independent motions:
- A uniform motion (constant velocity) along the horizontal direction
- A uniformly accelerated motion (constant acceleration, equal to the acceleration due to gravity) along the vertical direction
In terms of vectors, we have the following:
Velocity:
- The horizontal velocity does not change - therefore, this vector is constant
- The vertical velocity changes, as the vertical motion is accelerated - therefore, this vector changes. This is because there is a downward force acting on the projectile, the force of gravity.
Acceleration:
- There is no acceleration along the horizontal direction, so here the vector is zero
- The acceleration along the vertical direction is constant, and it is [tex]9.8 m/s^2[/tex] in the downward direction (acceleration due to gravity)
