The purpose of this project is to explore how gravity affects projectile range on Earth and the Moon using mathematics, Excel, and space science fundamentals.
Would the same projectile travel farther on the Moon than on Earth?
Launch Velocity:
- 100 m/s
Launch Angle:
- 45°
Gravity:
- Earth = 9.81 m/s²
- Moon = 1.62 m/s²
Projectile Range Equation:
Range = (V² × sin(2θ)) / g
The analysis showed that gravity has a major effect on projectile range.
Using the same launch angle and launch velocity, the projectile traveled much farther on the Moon than on Earth.
The weaker gravity on the Moon allows the projectile to remain in flight longer and cover a greater distance.
- Gravity
- Projectile Motion
- Lunar Science
- Space Exploration
- Mathematical Modeling
- Quantitative Thinking
- Applied Mathematics
- Excel Analysis
- Data Visualization
- Space Science
- Problem Solving
Before working on this analysis, I knew that the Moon has weaker gravity than Earth.
However, I did not realize how much this affects projectile motion.
The results showed that changing gravity alone can completely change how far an object travels.
This helped me better understand one of the most important differences between Earth and the Moon.
- Earth vs Mars Comparison
- Flight Time Analysis
- Maximum Height Analysis
- Variable Launch Angles
- Python-Based Simulation
While working on this analysis, I wanted to better understand how gravity affects projectile motion and why objects move differently on different worlds.
Using Excel and a simple projectile motion equation, I compared the range of the same projectile on Earth and the Moon.
One of the most interesting discoveries was that changing only gravity produced a very different result.
This project helped me better understand how planetary environments influence motion and how mathematics can be used to explain space science concepts.
The same launch. A completely different result.
- Excel Spreadsheet Excel Spreadsheet
- Data Visualization Data Visualization
- Engineering Notes Engineering Notes
Sarp AKAR