Projectiles

[danny89]

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When an object is in projectile motion, how come velocity and not speed changes at a constant rate? I know velocity has magnitude and direction and speed has just magnitude.

 

[sazerac]

Well starting with the obvious, speed is always a positive number. You throw a ball up, it's speed drops to zero then the speed climbs back up again.

The delta(speed) starts negative, goes to zero, then goes positive.

 

[sps27]

When an object is in projectile motion, how come velocity and not speed changes at a constant rate? I know velocity has magnitude and direction and speed has just magnitude.

It is best to analyze projectile motion as two separate motions i.e., horizontal and vertical. Horizontal component of velocity remains the same while vertical component of velocity changes due to gravity.