Classes of Projectiles

So far a number of mathematical techniques have been considered that can be used to calculate projectile trajectories. With this background the particular techniques will be identified that can be applied to various projectile problems that arise in sports and recreational activities. The list of projectiles considered is not exhaustive, but is wide-ranging enough to show the general approach required if the reader wants to calculate the trajectory for a projectile that is not specifically considered in this chapter.

Two classes of projectiles will be considered; those in which the human body is the projectile and can influence the trajectory during the time of flight, and those in which the human body propels the projectile and has no further influence on the trajectory. For athletic field events the former would include the long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault, while the latter covers the javelin, discus, shot-put and hammer throw. The throwing events are therefore less complicated during the projectile phase, but probably more complicated during the build-up to the release of the projectile, and have been surveyed in detail recently by Hubbard (1988).

Many non-human projectiles are spherical, but other shapes will be considered also, particularly those that are streamlined.