Explain why 45° maximizes range — and why 30° and 60° tie
Three steps, the way the exam actually works: work through the lab, write down your own measurements, then answer a 6-point free response. What you recorded goes to the grader with your writing, so a conclusion that does not follow from your own numbers will cost you the point — exactly as it would with a real reader.
Run the investigation
- 1Set the initial height to 0 so the projectile launches from and lands on level ground.
- 2Pick any launch speed and keep it fixed for every trial.
- 3Fire at 15°, then 30°, 45°, 60°, and 75°, recording the range each time.
Booting the lab…
Record what you measured
These are your numbers, not ours. The grader sees them, so your conclusions have to follow from what you actually recorded.
| Launch speed used for every trial | m/s |
|---|---|
| Range at 15° | m |
| Range at 30° | m |
| Range at 45° | m |
| Range at 60° | m |
| Range at 75° | m |
Answer the free response
A projectile is launched from level ground at a fixed speed and varying angle. (a) State which launch angle produced the greatest range in your trials, and justify it using the range equation rather than only your data. (b) Two pairs of your angles produced nearly equal ranges. Identify them and explain the mathematical reason. (c) Launching at a steeper angle keeps the projectile in the air longer, yet a 75° launch travelled less far than a 45° launch. Resolve that apparent contradiction. (d) Describe one observation you could make in this simulation that would tell you whether air resistance is being modeled, and state what you would expect the optimum angle to be if it were.
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