Using MATLAB in Introductory Physics Courses: Enhanced Understanding of a Model and Addressing its Limitations

Projectile motion is one of the first topics discussed in introductory physics courses as an example of two-dimensional motion. Understanding how the separation of components works to provide a mathematical model for the projectile's trajectory based on the one-dimensional kinematic equations can be challenging for students. We present a concise MATLAB script that can be readily developed by students to visualize this and also examine the effect of the initial parameters. However, this simplified projectile motion model is often inadequate for real-world applications because it disregards factors such as air resistance and flow, curvature and rotation of the Earth, and variations of the gravitational field strength, among others. We show how MATLAB can empower students to explore and address these limitations through computational modeling, rather than relying solely on cumbersome analytical approaches.