Projectile Motion Simulation with Quadratic Air Drag
This interactive physics simulation numerically integrates two-dimensional projectile motion under gravity and a quadratic (velocity-squared) drag force using fourth-order Runge-Kutta (RK4), and renders it alongside the closed-form ideal vacuum trajectory for direct comparison. Users can adjust launch angle, launch speed, mass, and drag coefficient — or choose realistic object presets such as a baseball, a badminton shuttlecock, or a steel shot put — to see exactly how much range, maximum height, and time of flight are reduced by air resistance.
This tool supports introductory mechanics topics including two-dimensional kinematics, projectile motion, and drag force and terminal speed, making the abstract difference between idealized and real-world trajectories immediately visible.
Keywords: projectile motion simulation, quadratic drag physics, trajectory calculator, range of a projectile, air resistance simulation, physics education tool, RK4 numerical integration, kinematics demo