Fire at the Enemy!
Recall the simplified equation for projectile motion:
where denotes the angle of elevation in degrees, denotes the initial height, and denotes the gravitational constant on Earth. We are going to fire a cannon, which is placed on the ground.
Question 1. Write down the value of .
Your cannon is located at the point with coordinates . The angle of elevation is given by , where .
Question 2. Use the GeoGebra applet above to find the range of values of so that your cannonball travels a horizontal distance greater than .
Question 3. Which value of will give the maximum horizontal distance?
Your territory and the enemy territory is separated by a -tall wall. located away from you. The land to the left of the wall belongs to your territory, while the land to the right of the wall belongs to the enemy territory.
Question 4. Use the GeoGebra applet to find the range of values of so that your cannonball enters the enemy territory.