Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Feed the Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Vocabulary: acceleration, free fall, trajectory, vector, velocity
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Eccentric billionaire Veda Hussert has invented a “banana cannon” to help feed the monkeys on
her personal wildlife preserve. To feed a monkey high in the trees, simply aim the cannon at the
monkey and fire a banana! Unfortunately, the noise of the cannon frightens the monkeys, and
they drop out of the tree when they hear the sound.
1. To hit a falling monkey with a banana, where should Veda aim? (Circle your choice.)
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A. Above the monkey B. Below the monkey C. Directly at the monkey
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2. Explain your choice:
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Veda should aim the cannon at the monkey because both the monkey and the banana will
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undergo the same downward movement, such that the banana will be pulled down from its
target at the same distance as it was aimed away from the monkey.
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Gizmo Warm-up
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The Feed the Monkey Gizmo shows a banana
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cannon and a monkey. When the cannon fires,
the startled monkey drops from the branch.
1. Click Play ( ) to fire the cannon. What
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happens?
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The banana flies over top of the monkey’s head.
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2. You can use the sliders to change the banana velocity (vInitial) and cannon angle (θ). (You
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can also drag the cannon barrel.) Make adjustments until the monkey catches the banana.
What were the velocity and angle that you used?
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Without moving the cannon, I set the velocity to 17m/s and changed the angle to 32°. The
monkey caught the banana right before they hit the ground.
3. Now try increasing and decreasing the velocity. Assuming the banana is moving fast enough
to reach the tree, does the monkey still catch the banana? Describe your findings.
This study source was downloaded by 100000828331062 from CourseHero.com on 07-25-2021 15:44:55 GMT -05:00
2019
https://www.coursehero.com/file/64784123/FeedMonkey-worksheetdocx/
, No matter what the velocity is, providing it’s at least enough to get the banana to the monkey
when it reaches the ground, the banana will reach the monkey because the cannon is aimed
at it. Presuming the monkey drops at the moment the banana is ejected, only aiming the
cannon straight at the monkey will result in a collision. If the cannon aimed is under the
monkey, the banana will fly under it and miss it. The same will happen for if the cannon is
aimed above the monkey; it will fly over it.
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This study source was downloaded by 100000828331062 from CourseHero.com on 07-25-2021 15:44:55 GMT -05:00
2019
https://www.coursehero.com/file/64784123/FeedMonkey-worksheetdocx/