projectile

mechanics

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Projectile motion describes the path of an object launched into the air, influenced only by Earth's gravity. Galileo observed that this path is a parabola.1

The motion can be understood as two independent movements: constant horizontal velocity and vertical motion affected by gravity. If we ignore air resistance, the trajectory of a projectile can be described by the equation of a parabola. Energy is conserved throughout this motion, with potential energy converting to kinetic energy and vice versa. This scientific principle is fundamental to understanding ballistics, which studies the flight and impact of projectiles.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

ammunition
…is the diameter of the projectile as measured in millimetres or inches. In general, projectiles less than 20 mm or .60 inch in diameter are classified as small-arm, and larger calibres are considered artillery. A complete round of ammunition consists of all the components necessary for one firing of the…
Read More
…is the diameter of the projectile as measured in millimetres or inches. In general, projectiles less than 20 mm or .60 inch in diameter are classified as small-arm, and larger calibres are considered artillery. A complete round of ammunition consists of all the components necessary for one firing of the…
Read More

ballistics
…propulsion, flight, and impact of projectiles. It is divided into several disciplines. Internal and external ballistics, respectively, deal with the propulsion and the flight of projectiles. The transition between these two regimes is called intermediate ballistics. Terminal ballistics concerns the impact of projectiles; a separate category encompasses the wounding of…
Read More
…propulsion, flight, and impact of projectiles. It is divided into several disciplines. Internal and external ballistics, respectively, deal with the propulsion and the flight of projectiles. The transition between these two regimes is called intermediate ballistics. Terminal ballistics concerns the impact of projectiles; a separate category encompasses the wounding of…
Read More

mechanics
Projectile motion
…terms such as ballistic and projectile, apply to a body that, once launched, is acted upon by no force other than Earth’s gravity.
Read More
…terms such as ballistic and projectile, apply to a body that, once launched, is acted upon by no force other than Earth’s gravity.
Read More