perplexus.info :: Science : Make it go!

Make it go! (Posted on 2005-03-18)

You kick a ball over a flat field. Taking into account gravity, but disregarding everything else like wind, friction, bounces, etc., etc., at what angle should you kick it so the ball lands the farthest away from you? And at what angle should you kick it so the ball makes the longest trajectory before landing?

Submitted by Federico Kereki

Rating: 4.5000 (2 votes)

Solution: (Hide)

The first part is easy and well known: 45 degrees. The second part is harder, and a computer gives 56.47 degrees; see http://www.mathpuzzle.com/ArcLength.txt for this.

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)

Subject	Author	Date
No Subject	K Sengupta	2024-02-11 22:29:48
guess	Carl LeGrand	2005-03-30 17:26:03
No Subject	abo3abed	2005-03-22 05:59:01
About convergence and the physical meaning of the negative solution.	ajosin	2005-03-22 05:34:09
re(2): Where am I wrong?	Larry	2005-03-20 15:00:57
re: Where am I wrong?	ajosin	2005-03-20 04:17:37
re(2): Proof that the second part needs a numberical solution	ajosin	2005-03-20 04:04:34
re: Where am I wrong?	Hugo	2005-03-19 23:23:05
Where am I wrong?	Larry	2005-03-19 23:03:39
re: Proof that the second part needs a numberical solution	Charlie	2005-03-19 20:43:47
Proof that the second part needs a numberical solution	ajosin	2005-03-19 14:48:30
solution	jamie	2005-03-19 03:03:50
First part	Tristan	2005-03-19 02:51:46
Numerical Solution of Second Part	Charlie	2005-03-18 20:52:07
First part	Old Original Oskar!	2005-03-18 19:59:26
re(2): solution	dan	2005-03-18 19:58:27
re: solution	Mark	2005-03-18 19:40:02
solution	dan	2005-03-18 19:27:21

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