Projectile Motion - Horizontal Velocity

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Projectile Motion - Horizontal Velocity

Projectile Motion - Horizontal Velocity
\[v_x = v_0 \cos(\theta)\]

Variables

vx = horizontal velocity (m/s)
v0 = initial velocity (m/s)
theta = launch angle (rad)

Description

What is this formula?

This equation calculates the horizontal component of the initial velocity in projectile motion.


When to use it

Use this formula when decomposing projectile velocity into horizontal and vertical components.


Example

If a projectile is launched at 40 m/s with an angle of 30°:


vx = 40 × cos(30°) = 34.64 m/s


Applications

Projectile analysis, ballistics, engineering simulations, sports physics, and motion decomposition problems.


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