Projectiles Galileo

In passage 281-283 of the Galileo text, an unusual approaeh to the velocity of a projectile is taken in which the missile is released from rest and allowed to fall freely to the ground (having the velocity attained part way down added as a uniform velocity in the horizontal direction). The point at which the horizontal velocity is introduced corresponds to the highest point reached by a projectile. Galileo refers to the elevation of the initial point of release as the sublimity, the elevation at the point where uniform horizontal... 

During the summer of 1607, Galileo turned his attention towards hydrostatics and strength of materials. Strength of Material formed the part of his hook entitled Two New Sciences (Darke 1978). Galileo understood the parabolic nature of the paths of projectile. From 1609, he turned his attention towards astronomy with the help of his telescope. 

Figure 3.1. Arrangement used by Galileo in recording the path of a body subjected to uniform velocity in one direction and uniform acceleration in the orthogonal direction. This corresponds to the path taken by a projectile leaving the ground with a velocity (vq) at an angle (0) to the horizontal.

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