Precision Air-Powered Projectile

What You Can Teach with the Precision Air-Powered Projectile

Ideal for AP Physics, Honors, and conceptual courses — perfect for measuring range, time of flight, and maximum height, including:

• Vertical Free Fall & Gravity: Measure vertical motion to calculate free-fall acceleration and explore how gravity influences motion over time.
• Horizontal Motion & Vectors: Separate and analyze horizontal and vertical components to connect real-world launches with 2D kinematics.
• Predicting Range Using Kinematic Equations: Use known launch height and velocity to calculate theoretical range and compare with experimental data.
• Data Collection & Analysis: Record flight time and distance using a stopwatch, measuring tape, trundle wheel, or slow-motion video for accurate quantitative analysis.

STEM, Camp, and Engineering Design Connections

The Precision Air-Powered Projectile helps transform fields, gyms, and open spaces into dynamic learning labs.

• For middle school STEM and other informal learning settings, the launcher transforms outdoor spaces into hands-on exploration zones where students safely investigate motion, experiment with their own rocket modifications, and participate in friendly design competitions.
• In engineering design courses, students can test how pressure, fin shape, mass, and nose-cone style affect stability and distance, supporting iterative design-build-test challenges.

Across all these environments, the system encourages curiosity, teamwork, and problem-solving while giving students a memorable, high-energy introduction to real-world engineering.