  Ground-based cosmic ray experiments detect cosmic ray mainly by measuring the
longitudinal and lateral distribution of secondary particles produced in the
extensive air shower (EAS). The EAS of cosmic ray in the knee energy region is
simulated via CORSIKA software. Several simulation samples with different
energy, composition and zenith angles were carried out to understand the
longitudinal development of electron, muon and Cherenkov light in EAS. All the
results presented were obtained assuming an observation plane at an altitude of
4400 m a.s.l. The differences of longitudinal development between electron and
Cherenkov light were studied, and the reconstruction uncertainty of shower
maximum for electron from Cherenkov light was estimated to be 10-15g/cm$^2$ for
nuclei above 1 PeV. The performances of energy measurement and the composition
discrimination ability based on longitudinal development were studied and
compared with that from lateral distribution. It was found that number of
electron per depth at its shower maximum has the smallest shower-to-shower
fluctuations, but the shower-to-shower fluctuations of electron density
measured at observation level was very close to it when the appropriate zenith
angle was employed. The shower-to-shower fluctuations of shower maximum for
electron is 50-55 g/cm$^2$ for proton, and 20-25 g/cm$^2$ for iron, but the
composition discrimination ability between nuclei from muon density measured at
observation level is much better than the shower maximum variable from
longitudinal development. The hadronic model dependencies of the longitudinal
development and lateral distribution were also discussed.
