Projectile motion calculator

Projectile motion calculator: range, maximum height, time of flight and impact speed for any launch angle and height, on Earth or other worlds, with drag.

Atualizado Exemplos verificados: 6

Mais opções
Experimentar
Horizontal range
m
Horizontal range: 40.7886 m
Algarismos significativos: 6; Ao mais próximo; empates afastando-se de zero
Maximum height above ground
10.1972m
Time of flight
2.88419s
Time to maximum height
1.4421s
Impact speed
20m/s
Impact angle below horizontal
45.00°

The projectile flies for 2.884 s, peaks 10.2 m above the ground and lands 40.79 m away at 20 m/s.

Trajectory

apex at 1.44 sR = 40.79 mH = 10.2 m
Como é calculado S
  1. Split the launch velocity

    vx=vcos⁡θ=14.1421 m/s,vy=vsin⁡θ=14.1421 m/sv_x = v\cos\theta = 14.1421\ \mathrm{m/s},\quad v_y = v\sin\theta = 14.1421\ \mathrm{m/s}
  2. Time of flight

    T=vy+vy2+2gh0g=14.1421+(14.1421)2+2(9.80665)(0)9.80665=2.88419 sT = \frac{v_y + \sqrt{v_y^2 + 2gh_0}}{g} = \frac{14.1421 + \sqrt{(14.1421)^2 + 2(9.80665)(0)}}{9.80665} = 2.88419\ \mathrm{s}
  3. Range

    R=vxT=(14.1421)(2.88419)=40.7886 mR = v_x T = (14.1421)(2.88419) = 40.7886\ \mathrm{m}
  4. Maximum height

    H=h0+vy22g=0+(14.1421)22(9.80665)=10.1972 mH = h_0 + \frac{v_y^2}{2g} = 0 + \frac{(14.1421)^2}{2(9.80665)} = 10.1972\ \mathrm{m}
  5. Impact

    ∣v⃗∣=vx,T2+vy,T2=20 m/s,φ=arctan⁡∣vy,T∣vx,T=45 ∘|\vec v| = \sqrt{v_{x,T}^2 + v_{y,T}^2} = 20\ \mathrm{m/s},\quad \varphi = \arctan\frac{|v_{y,T}|}{v_{x,T}} = 45\ \mathrm{^\circ}

Sobre Projectile motion calculator

The launch velocity splits into a horizontal part, v cos θ, which stays constant, and a vertical part, v sin θ, which gravity reduces by g every second. The time of flight is when the height returns to the ground, found by solving the vertical motion; the range is horizontal speed × flight time. On level ground this reduces to R = v² sin 2θ ÷ g.

It answers homework problems and sports or water-jet estimates. The default throw, 20 m/s at 45° on Earth, peaks at 10.20 m and lands 40.79 m away after 2.88 s. The same throw on the Moon, where g = 1.62 m/s², travels 246.9 m.

Without the drag option, air resistance, spin and the Earth's curvature are ignored, which overstates the range of fast or light objects. The linear-drag option shows how drag shortens and steepens the path; real balls at sports speeds meet drag closer to v², so read that result as a trend.

Exemplos resolvidos

20 m/s at 45° on Earth

Launch speed
20 m/s
Launch angle above horizontal
45 °
Launch height above ground
0 m
Gravity
Earth
Unidade dos resultados
Metres and m/s
Horizontal range
40.7886 m
Maximum height above ground
10.1972 m
Time of flight
2.88419 s
Impact speed
20 m/s

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 math: R = v²sin2θ/g, H = v²sin²θ/(2g), T = 2v·sinθ/g with g = 9.80665

15 m/s at 30° from a 10 m cliff

Launch speed
15 m/s
Launch angle above horizontal
30 °
Launch height above ground
10 m
Gravity
Earth
Unidade dos resultados
Metres and m/s
Horizontal range
30.979 m
Maximum height above ground
12.868 m
Time of flight
2.38477 s
Impact speed
20.5215 m/s
Impact angle below horizontal
50.73 °

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 math: T = (v_y + √(v_y² + 2gh))/g = 2.3847661…, R = v_x·T, v_impact = √(v² + 2gh)

Same throw on the Moon

Launch speed
20 m/s
Launch angle above horizontal
45 °
Launch height above ground
0 m
Gravity
Moon
Unidade dos resultados
Metres and m/s
Horizontal range
246.914 m
Time of flight
17.4594 s

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 math: 400/1.62 and 2·20·sin45°/1.62 (NASA g_Moon = 1.62 m/s²)

Horizontal launch from 20 m (θ = 0)

Launch speed
10 m/s
Launch angle above horizontal
0 °
Launch height above ground
20 m
Gravity
Earth
Unidade dos resultados
Metres and m/s
Horizontal range
20.1962 m
Maximum height above ground
20 m
Time of flight
2.01962 s
Impact angle below horizontal
63.21 °

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 math: T = √(2h/g) = 2.0196200…, R = vT, tan φ = gT/v

Perguntas

What launch angle gives the maximum range?

On level ground with no air resistance, 45° gives the longest range, because R = v² sin 2θ ÷ g and sin 2θ peaks when 2θ = 90°. Launching from a height moves the best angle lower: from a 10 m cliff at 15 m/s it is about 36.2°, which reaches 31.4 m against 30.5 m at 45°. Air drag also lowers the best angle.

How do you calculate the time of flight?

On level ground, T = 2v sin θ ÷ g, so a 20 m/s launch at 45° on Earth stays up 2.88 s. From a launch height h, take the positive root of h + v sin θ·t − ½gt² = 0, which is T = (v sin θ + √(v² sin² θ + 2gh)) ÷ g. The time to the highest point is v sin θ ÷ g, half the level-ground flight time.

Why do 30° and 60° give the same range?

Complementary angles give the same range on level ground because sin 2θ = sin(180° − 2θ). At 20 m/s, launches at 30° and 60° both land 35.32 m away. The 60° shot climbs three times as high, 15.30 m against 5.10 m, and stays up 3.53 s instead of 2.04 s, which matters when the path has to clear an obstacle.

How much does air resistance shorten the range?

It depends on the object's mass, size and speed. With the linear model here, a 0.145 kg ball thrown at 20 m/s and 45° with b = 0.01 kg/s lands 35.95 m away instead of 40.79 m, about 12% shorter, and peaks at 9.57 m instead of 10.20 m. Drag also makes the descent steeper than the climb, so the path is no longer a symmetric parabola.

Qual é a precisão de “Projectile motion calculator”?

A precisão depende dos dados inseridos e das hipóteses do método. O cálculo decimal usa 50 algarismos significativos, mas estimativas, métodos numéricos e dados de origem podem ter menor precisão; o arredondamento exibido não elimina essas limitações. Exemplos resolvidos verificados com fontes independentes: 6. Por exemplo, “20 m/s at 45° on Earth” é verificado com Python 3.8 math: R = v²sin2θ/g, H = v²sin²θ/(2g), T = 2v·sinθ/g with g = 9.80665.

De onde vem o método?

OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, §4.3 Projectile motion; Taylor, Classical Mechanics (2005), §2.2–2.3 Linear air resistance; NASA Planetary Fact Sheet — surface gravity.

Sobre esta calculadora

R=vxT,T=vy+vy2+2gh0g,H=h0+vy22g;h0=0: R=v2sin⁡2θgR = v_x T,\quad T = \frac{v_y + \sqrt{v_y^2 + 2gh_0}}{g},\quad H = h_0 + \frac{v_y^2}{2g};\qquad h_0 = 0:\ R = \frac{v^2\sin 2\theta}{g}

Fontes

  1. OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, §4.3 Projectile motion
  2. Taylor, Classical Mechanics (2005), §2.2–2.3 Linear air resistance
  3. NASA Planetary Fact Sheet — surface gravity

Verificado com as referências

Esta calculadora inclui 6 exemplos resolvidos com respostas de fontes independentes. Eles fazem parte do conjunto de testes e você também pode executá-los aqui.

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