I was delighted to find “Sports, Smartphones, and Simulation as an Engaging Method to Teach Projectile Motion Incorporating Air Resistance”1 in the May 2019 issue of The Physics Teacher. Other examples of this structure of video capture, computer model, and comparison were highlighted at the 2019 and 2020 AAPT Summer Meetings and I believe this comparison-focused methodology will prove to be an important development in physics education.
I was surprised, however, to see that the article uses the basic Euler method for modeling the projectile’s motion, rather than the more widely used2 Euler-Cromer method.3 The former generates iterative values for position and velocity using rearranged kinematics equations.
(1)
(2)
AAPT members receive access to The Physics Teacher and the American Journal of Physics as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.