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trajectory
Sign in to saveAlso known as path, route, way taken, path of motion, course, track, path taken, route taken
thumb|350px|Illustration showing the directional trajectory of a bullet fired at an uphill target
A trajectory is the curved path that an object follows as it moves through space, such as a bullet traveling through the air toward a target. Understanding trajectories matters because it helps us predict where moving objects will go, which is useful in fields like ballistics, sports, and space exploration.
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~10 min read
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Physics of trajectories
- Examples
- Uniform gravity, neither drag nor wind
- Derivation of the equation of motion
- Range and height
- Angle of elevation
- Orbiting objects
- Catching balls
- Notes
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|350px|Illustration showing the directional trajectory of a bullet fired at an uphill target
A trajectory is the path an object takes through its motion over time. In classical mechanics, a trajectory is defined by Hamiltonian mechanics via canonical coordinates; hence, a complete trajectory is defined by position and momentum, simultaneously.