levo

Projectile Motion and Fluid Mechanics

Release velocity, height and angle

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 1

Overview

Release velocity, height and angle, the optimum angle, the shot putter below 45° and the long jumper at about 20°, angles too steep or flat, the javelin, glide and rotational techniques, video analysis and motion capture.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Explain why a shot putter releases at an angle below 45°.

Key term

Name the three release factors that determine the horizontal distance a projectile travels.

Key term

Why is velocity of release usually the most important of the three factors?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Name the three release factors that determine the horizontal distance a projectile travels.

    Model answer

    The three factors are the speed of release, the height of release and the angle of release.

  2. 2

    Why is velocity of release usually the most important of the three factors?

    Model answer

    Horizontal distance rises roughly with the square of release velocity. A small gain in release speed adds more distance than any realistic change in height or angle.

  3. 3

    How does a thrower increase release velocity?

    Model answer

    A thrower applies a larger force over a longer path before release. The glide or rotation in the shot put lengthens the path over which force is applied.

  4. 4

    How does the height of release affect horizontal distance?

    Model answer

    A greater release height gives a longer flight time, so the projectile travels further. A tall shot putter who releases the shot high above the ground gains distance.

  5. 5

    What is the optimum angle of release when release and landing are at the same height?

    Model answer

    The optimum angle is 45° when release and landing are at the same height and air resistance is ignored.

  6. 6

    Explain why a shot putter releases at an angle below 45°.

    Model answer

    The shot leaves the hand about 2 m above the ground, so the flight already gains time from its height. A lower angle, around 35° to 40°, gives the best balance of horizontal speed and flight time. A putter can also exert more force at a lower angle.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

The Musculo-Skeletal System
Levers, Newton's Laws and Stability
The Respiratory System
The Cardiovascular System

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

The survey began in .
201520052012

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AThe training zone is 136 to 158 bpm.
BHeart rate reserve = (220 − 40) − 70 = 110 bpm.
CLower limit = (110 × 0.6) + 70 = 136 bpm.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Acceleration means a rise in velocity each second.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Projectile Motion and Fluid Mechanics, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.