Team Number: 035 School Name: Manzano High School Area of Science: Paintball Physics Project Title: Another Reason Why Physics is Universal Problem Definition: Paintballing is a sport where the players are at the whim of physics. Countless factors are in play while paintballs are launched, giving even the most accurate of paintballers a miniscule advantage. From the most obvious factors, like gravity, to the less known, like the air drag based on air density, a paintballer's only control of each projectile is the initial velocity of the paintball. This project is intended to use mankind's knowledge of physics as of now to project the trajectory of each paintball, depending on natural and artificial forces. Problem Solution: I will construct a C++ program that will calculate the trajectory of a paintball in a 3-dimensional map. The program will ask for the user to input the various factors, such as vertical and horizontal angle of the gun, environmental factors (wind velocity, altitude, and so forth), and gun factors (length of barrel, pressure of carbon dioxide chamber, and so forth). Once all factors have been received by the program, it will draw the trajectory of the paintball in a 3-D environment. With these calculations the major effects of physics on paintball can be predicted and accounted for when paintballers take to the arena. Progress to Date: As of now, I am learning more about the C++ language. I am currently learning about classes. Also, I have found my references and am looking through them for the formulas I will need to implement into my project. I have found many new factors I will need to apply, the most significant being the spin of the paintball. The direction and speed of the paintball's spin is very important to how it will travel through the air. My project is progressing as expected, and no setbacks are in sight as of yet. Expected Results: Once my project is complete, I hope that paintballers can use my program with a knowledge of their equipment and schematics of their favorite paintballing arenas so they may have an idea on how they can use their controllable factors combined with physics to become experts of the sport. Team Member(s): Darren Kartchner Sponsoring Teachers: Steve Schum References: Physics: Principles and Problems, Paul Zitzewitz, Ph.D. Copyright 1999, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill http://home.comcast.net/~dyrgcmn/pball/pballCalc.html http://www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2dynamics.shtml http://www.directpaintball.com/article_mike_myths.html http://www.paintballzone.com/sniper_math_physics.htm http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211_fall2002.web.dir/Ian_Dixon/range.htm