Labs / Physics
Projectile Motion
Drag anywhere on the field to aim your shot — the longer the pull, the faster the launch — then let go to fire. The ball falls along a parabola while gravity pulls it down, and the faint dotted arc shows the path a 45° launch would take.
Range 0.0 mPeak 0.0 mTime 0.00 s
What to try
- Which launch angle sends the ball the farthest? Is it always 45°, or does it depend on the planet?
- Two shots reach the same range from different angles — what do a low, fast shot and a high, lofted shot have in common?
- Switch on air resistance. Where does the peak of the arc drift — and why does the ball no longer land as far as the dotted reference?
- Fire the same shot on the Moon and on Jupiter. How much does gravity stretch or squash the parabola?
- Straight up at 90° gives zero range but the longest flight time. Can you find the angle that keeps the ball in the air longest while still moving forward?