Shutterstock/Alex Desanshe
Aiming a hosepipe, intuition told me a 45-degree angle would maximise the distance travelled by the water, as it would for a projectile. But when I did this, the water actually went a shorter distance. Why?
Graham Smith
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Isaac Newton used calculus to prove that, in the absence of air resistance, a fired cannonball travels in a symmetrical arch shape, or parabolic path, and he showed that maximum range is achieved by launching the ball at a 45-degree angle. As a cannonball has a very high momentum and experiences a relatively low air resistance, artillery crews have …
20. At what angle should a water hose be aimed in order for the water to land with the
greatest horizontal range?
a.
b.
c.
d.
21.Among the trajectories of projectiles fired at an angles for the same launching speed ,
which of the following has the highest peak?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A water hose must be aimed at (c) 45 degrees angle in order for the water to land with the greatest horizontal range. In this angle, there is less air resistance for the water, thereby making the water travel farther. Any angles lesser or greater than the prescribed angle will lesser horizontal range.