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Solving asymmetrical projectile motion problems can be either relatively straight forward, or require some very
messy math to find the solution. They all, however, start with the same basic conditions and boil down to one
formula.
The two possibilities are you are at a certain elevation h and wish to launch a projectile at angle and velocity v to
cover range d (fig. 1) , or you are at ground level at range d and wish to launch a projectile at angle and velocity v
to reach elevation h (fig. 2)
h0
v
Fig. 2
Fig. 1
at 2 v sin t h0
d v cos t
Which can be rearranged and substituted into the first equation for t
h
or
v cos
d
h0
v cos
v sin
v cos
d tan h0
If you take a=9.8m/s2=g, then the general formula for finding h0 or h (assuming the other is zero) is
d
h h0 d tan 2 g
v cos
which becomes
1
h0
v
cos
2 g
d tan or h d tan
v
cos
2 g
respectively
If you are given the initial velocity and angle, solving for height or range is simple. But what if you know the
elevation you are starting from or the elevation above you that you wish to reach, but you only know the initial
velocity , not the angle?
v
h0
v
Fig. 2
Fig.
1
This cannot be so easily
solved,
because the angle is part of two different trig functions. To proceed, you must
either choose an algebraic approach or a trigonometric approach: both involve quadratic solutions, because two
angles will satisfy the conditions, as you have seen with the range formula.
Many thanks to Andrew Rothfuss and Haoyang Liu for their assistance in creating these notes.
Algebraic approach
2
2
2
First, call h-h0=y, d=x, vsin=vy and call vcos=vx; ; it is also known that v v y v x
Then the previous general-purpose solution becomes
vy
x
2 g
y x
v
x
vx
v v 2y v x is very tedious;
2
gx 2
yv x xv y
vx
1
1 gx
y
2
vx
vx
x
vy
1 gx
y
2
vx
vx
x
v 2 v x2
1 gx
y
v v vx 2
vx
x
2
2
x
y
v v vx
x
2
2
x
y 2 y
v x 2
x
x
y
x
y
x
y
x
1 v x2
12 gx
vx
2
vx
v 2 v x2 0
12 gx
vx
1 2 gx v 2 v x2 1 2 gx 2 0
yg v v
2
12 gx
1 2 gx v
y
2
x
gx
gx
y
1 v x2 2
x
1 v x2
y
2
x
2
x
gx 0
2
v 2 v x2 v y
b yg v 2
c 1 2 gx
and take the positive square roots (the negative roots correspond the problem in reverse at a negative time) and then
solve for the angle =cos-1(vx/v)
Trigonometric approach
Start with the general-purpose formula
2
v cos
h h0 d tan 1 2 g
h h0 d tan 1 2 g
h h0 d tan 1 2 g
h h0 d tan 1 2 g
h h0 d tan
cos
sec 2
tan
2
tan
2
tan d tan
h h0 0
2 g
b d
2
d
( h h0 )
v
and either h or h0 equals zero; solve for angle =tan-1
c