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The 89th edition of the Masters golf tournament tees off on April 10. Students can prepare for the excitement of the tournament by heading to their local driving range or by trying out the Golf Range Gizmo. The Gizmo teaches principles of projectile motion in a fun, easy-to-digest environment.



In the Gizmo, students tee off with the goal of getting as close to the hole as possible. Students can control the launch angle and initial velocity of the ball and can hit the ball in a normal atmosphere or a vacuum. With the advanced features turned on, they can also adjust the initial height of the golfer and the force of gravity.



From a physics perspective, we recommend displaying the x and y velocity vectors and starting with zero atmosphere. Students will quickly see that while the vertical velocity component changes continuously because of the force of gravity, the horizontal velocity of the ball remains constant. If the ball is launched horizontally from a certain height, the vertical velocity is easily calculated as v = gt. This calculation can then be generalized for any launch angle using a little trigonometry, and a general solution for the horizontal distance traveled can then be determined. No matter how you use the Gizmo, it is a fun way to explore projectile motion.