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Physics · Forces and motion

Projectile Motion

Anything thrown or fired flies in a curved path called a parabola: it keeps moving forward while gravity pulls it down.

0 m5 m10 m15 m20 m25 m30 m35 m40 m45 m
Range (distance)
33.1 m
Highest point
8.3 m
Time in the air
2.6 s
Ball now (x, y)
—

Gravity

Try this

  1. Which angle sends the ball the furthest from the ground? Try 30°, 45° and 60°.
  2. Fire at 30° and then at 60° with the same speed. What do you notice about where they land?
  3. Raise the launch height. Does the best angle change?
  4. Fire the same shot on the Moon and on Jupiter.

Key ideas

  • The forward speed stays the same; only the up-and-down speed is changed by gravity.
  • From the ground, 45° gives the longest range; angles that add up to 90° (like 30° and 60°) land at the same place.
  • Range from the ground = v² sin 2θ ÷ g (ignoring air resistance).