What is the difference between a parabolic path and projectile motion.?

Projectile motion is what it sounds like--the motion of a projectile.

If there are no forces on the projectile other than a constant weight (which is a reasonable approximation in many cases), then its path will be a parabola--its horizontal position will be be proportional to time, and its vertical position will be a quadratic function of time, and therefore of horizontal position.

An example of a projectile with a non-parabolic path would be a ballistic missile--once it burns out and clears the atmosphere, it follows an elliptical path until it re-enters.

Parabolic Motion Definition

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RE:

What is the difference between a parabolic path and projectile motion.?

Like when throwing a football. Please read this.

When the football travels through the air, it always follows a curved, or parabolic, path because the movement of the ball in the vertical direction is influenced by the force of gravity. As the ball travels up, gravity slows it down until it...

Projectile motion is an example of a parabolic path. It can be shown that the vertical position of the football as a function of the football's horizontal position is a quadratic.

In the horizontal direction, the football moves at constant velocity:

x = vcosθ t

t = x / vcosθ

In the vertical direction, the football undergoes constant acceleration:

y = vsinθ (t) - ½g(t)²

using the result above:

y = vsinθ (x / vcosθ) - ½g(x / vcosθ)²

y = (tanθ) x - (g / 2(vcosθ)²) x²

Projectile motion is an example of a parabolic path.

In a vacuum for point projectiles in an uniform gravitational field, there is no difference.

Edit: The other answers given here are correct. Projectile motion can follow a wide variety of paths, of which the parabola is just a special type. For example, if a rocket is launched above escape velocity from the Earth, it could follow a quite complicated path throughout the solar system if it passes by planets closely enough.

Parabola is a mathematical curve - an abstract concept. Projectile trajectory is a real curve - traced by a moving object.

Projectiles are said to follow parabolic path as a first approximation to their true motion. Real motions are influenced by air resistance and, if distance is large enough, curvature of the Earth affects the path as well.

Parabolic Path

well ball-is-tic.. thats when a ball has a tick. get your man clean and projectile motion is when a guy cums its projectiled out of his body. your stupid