Projectile Trajectory

Description

The Projectile Trajectory is a MATLAB/Octave script designed to simulate the trajectory of a projectile launched into the air under the influence of gravity and air resistance. It is a computational model that provides insights into the motion of a projectile, computing various quantities and visualizing the trajectory for analysis and understanding.

Intended Use Cases

• Educational Purposes: Serves as an invaluable resource for students to understand and visualize the principles of projectile motion in detailed physics education.
• Engineering Applications: Offers insights and practical utility for engineers working on complex projects in areas such as ballistics and aerospace engineering.

Key Features

Visualization:

• Plotting: Generates detailed plots of velocity components, trajectory, and motion laws to vividly visualize the projectile's motion over time for enhanced understanding.
• Animation: Crafts an engaging animated visualization of the trajectory, offering a comprehensive and dynamic representation of the projectile's path through space.

Output and Analysis:

• Log Files: Logs the computed quantities and results for detailed further analysis, debugging, performance evaluation, and convenient future reference.
• Output Directory: Methodically organizes the generated plots and detailed log files in a structured output directory for streamlined access and effective management.

Relevant Metrics:

• Flight Time: Computes the total time the projectile spends in the air.
• Range: Calculates the horizontal distance traveled by the projectile.
• Maximum Altitude: Determines the highest point reached by the projectile.
• Ascent and Descent Times: Identifies the time taken for the projectile to ascend and descend.
• Heat Produced: Estimates the heat generated during the motion of the projectile.

   ============= PROJECTILE MOTION =============
            Flight Time: 4.587242 s
            Range: 0.426711 km
            Maximum Altitude: 0.027452 km
            Ascent Time: 1.995086 s
            Descent Time: 2.592156 s
            Heat Produced: 21.942012 kJ
   =============================================
   ============= PROJECTILE MOTION =============
            Flight Time: 16.925352 s
            Range: 0.652901 km
            Maximum Altitude: 0.371898 km
            Ascent Time: 5.946745 s
            Descent Time: 10.978606 s
            Heat Produced: 86.794148 kJ
   =============================================
   .......

Additional Information

• Animation: The animation provides a dynamic and visually engaging representation of the projectile's trajectory, allowing users to observe its movement in real-time with accuracy and clarity.
• Result Files: Alongside the log.txt file, the script generates png images depicting the trajectory, velocity, and position curve as functions of time, providing visual aids for analysis and presentation.

Usage

• First, Chnage Directory TO src and be inside of it, (for saving png files inside of images directory).

• Run Script: Execute the test_projectile.sh script in your terminal. You have a list of 3 options.

  • 1 to run the projectile simulation.
  • 2 to clean up the log file.
  • 3 to exit the program.

• Call Function: To simulate the trajectory of a projectile programmatically, use the:

  • projectile_trajectory(v0, alpha0) function, where:
    • v0 is the initial velocity (in m/s)
    • alpha0 is the launch angle (in degrees).