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12.9: Summary

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    92193
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    This following table summarizes the formulæ for a projectile initially at the origin, fired with initial velocity \(v_{0}\) at an angle \(\theta\) from the horizontal.

    Table 9-1. Summary of formulæ for projectile motion.

    Quantity Formula
    \(x(t)\) \(x=\left(v_{0} \cos \theta\right) t\)
    \(y(t)\) \(y=-\dfrac{1}{2} g t^2+\left(v_0 \sin \theta\right) t\)
    \(y(x)\) \(y(x)=\left(-\dfrac{g}{2 v_{0}^{2} \cos ^{2} \theta}\right) x^{2}+(\tan \theta) x\)
    Time in flight \(t_{f}=\dfrac{2}{g} v_{0} \sin \theta\)
    Range at angle \(\theta\) \(R=\dfrac{v_{0}^{2}}{g} \sin 2 \theta\)
    Max. range (at \(\left.\theta=45^{\circ}\right)\) \(R_{\max }=\dfrac{v_{0}^{2}}{g}\)
    Angle needed to hit target at range \(R\) for fixed \(v_{0}\) \(\theta=\dfrac{1}{2} \sin ^{-1}\left(\dfrac{g R}{v_{0}^{2}}\right)\)
    Speed needed to hit target at range \(R\) for fixed \(\theta\) \(v_{0}=\sqrt{\dfrac{g R}{\sin 2 \theta}}\)
    Max. altitude \(h=\dfrac{v_{0}^{2} \sin ^{2} \theta}{2 g}\)
    Speed needed to hit target at \(\left(x_{t}, y_{t}\right)\) for fixed \(\theta\) \(\left(x_{t}, y_{t}\right)\) for fixed \(\theta\) & \(v_{0}=\sqrt{\dfrac{g x_{t}}{2\left(\tan \theta-\dfrac{y_{t}}{x_{t}}\right) \cos ^{2} \theta}}\)
    Angle needed to hit target at \(\left(x_{t}, y_{t}\right)\) for fixed \(v_{0}\) \(x_{t} \sin 2 \theta-2 y_{t} \cos ^{2} \theta=\dfrac{g x_{t}^{2}}{v_{0}^{2}}\)

    Note that this last expression must be solved iteratively for \(\theta\).


    12.9: Summary is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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