AQA · A-Level · Physical Education
Course version: 7582 · Version from Sept 2016
Projectile motion: Shot put, badminton shuttle.
Shot put and badminton shuttle are contrasting projectiles.
Checked against the AQA 7582 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Shot put and badminton shuttle are contrasting projectiles. A shot put is heavy and compact, so air resistance changes its path only slightly; its flight is close to a parabola. Because a shot put is released from a height greater than its landing height, its optimum release angle for maximum range is below 45°. A shuttle is light with a high-drag skirt, so drag dominates: it decelerates quickly, its path is asymmetric and it drops steeply. A shuttle is therefore struck at a steeper angle and travels a shorter horizontal distance. Comparing the two shows how shape and surface area determine drag force, while mass determines how much the projectile decelerates in response to drag.
What earns the marks
- A shot put is heavy and compact, so drag has little effect and the path is close to a parabola.
- Because the shot put release height is greater than landing height, the optimum release angle is below 45°.
- A shuttle is light with a high-drag skirt, so drag strongly affects its flight.
- Drag makes the shuttle path asymmetric with a steep descent.
- A shuttle is struck at a steeper angle and travels a shorter horizontal distance.
- Shape, surface area and velocity determine the size of the drag force, while mass determines the projectile's acceleration response to drag.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the shuttle as a simple parabola.
Put it right: Its high drag makes the path asymmetric with a steep drop.
Assuming the shot put needs a 45° release angle.
Put it right: Because release height exceeds landing height, the optimum angle is below 45°.
Thinking mass determines the size of the drag force.
Put it right: Shape, surface area and velocity control drag force, while mass dictates how much that force decelerates the object.
Exam tips
- Compare the two projectiles using mass, shape and drag rather than describing each separately.
- Link the steep shuttle descent to drag reducing horizontal velocity.
- Explicitly state that the shot put optimum release angle is below 45° due to the release height being above the landing height.
Try the lesson
The start of the Projectile motion: Shot put, badminton shuttle. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
A shot putter releases the metal ball at a fixed speed and angle. Compared with a badminton shuttle released at the same speed and angle, the shot travels much further before landing. Which property of the shot best explains this?
Listen
Shot put and badminton shuttle are contrasting projectiles. A shot put is heavy and compact, so air resistance changes its path only slightly; its flight is close to a parabola. Because a shot put is released from a height greater than its landing height, its optimum release angle for maximum range is below 45°. A shuttle is light with a high-drag skirt, so drag dominates: it decelerates quickly, its path is asymmetric and it drops steeply. A shuttle is therefore struck at a steeper angle and travels a shorter horizontal distance. Comparing the two shows how shape and surface area determine drag force, while mass determines how much the projectile decelerates in response to drag. A strong answer earns marks for these points. A shot put is heavy and compact, so drag has little effect and the path is close to a parabola. Because the shot put release height is greater than landing height, the optimum release angle is below 45°. A shuttle is light with a high-drag skirt, so drag strongly affects its flight. Drag makes the shuttle path asymmetric with a steep descent. Exam tip: Compare the two projectiles using mass, shape and drag rather than describing each separately.
Key words
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Drag and projectile shape
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Mass and acceleration response
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Asymmetric flight paths
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Release angle and release height
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See every definition
- Drag and projectile shape
- Shape and surface area determine the size of the drag force, which has little effect on a heavy, compact shot put but strongly affects a light shuttle with a high-drag skirt.
- Mass and acceleration response
- Mass determines how much the projectile decelerates in response to drag, while shape, surface area and velocity determine the size of the drag force.
- Asymmetric flight paths
- Drag makes the shuttle path asymmetric with a steep descent, whereas the shot put path is close to a parabola.
- Release angle and release height
- Because the shot put release height is greater than landing height, its optimum release angle is below 45°, while a shuttle is struck at a steeper angle.
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