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Symmetrical Launch definitions

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  • Projectile Motion
    The motion of an object thrown or projected into the air, subject to only the acceleration of gravity.
  • Symmetrical Trajectory
    A path where the ascent and descent are mirror images, with equal time and velocity magnitude.
  • Initial Velocity
    The starting speed and direction of an object, often broken into X and Y components.
  • Maximum Height
    The peak point in a projectile's path where vertical velocity is zero.
  • Time of Flight
    The total duration a projectile is in motion from launch to landing.
  • Vertical Component
    The part of velocity or displacement in the Y direction, affected by gravity.
  • Horizontal Component
    The part of velocity or displacement in the X direction, unaffected by gravity.
  • Gravity
    The force that accelerates objects downward at 9.8 m/s² on Earth.
  • Velocity Vector
    A quantity with both magnitude and direction, representing speed and direction of motion.
  • Angle of Launch
    The initial angle between the projectile's path and the horizontal axis.
  • Displacement
    The change in position of an object, can be vertical or horizontal.
  • Parabola
    The curved path followed by a projectile under the influence of gravity.
  • Negative Velocity
    Velocity in the opposite direction to the initial motion, often downward.
  • Symmetry
    A property where two halves of a trajectory are mirror images in time and velocity.
  • Launch Height
    The initial vertical position from which a projectile is launched.