Ok, I am only a freshman in high-school so I have know idea how to determine how high an object will travel at a given weight and size. Does anybody know what this math is called and were I can learn it.
If you look up "kinematics" in Wikipedia, you'll get the correct answer, but the math shown is calculus, which you won't have learned yet. Your high school physics textbook will cover this stuff in detail at a more appropriate level (algebra).
It is possible to make simplifying assumptions (gravity is constant, no air resistance, etc.) and you can be "given" the necessary equations (F = ma, x = x0 + v t + a t2/2) instead of deriving them, which eliminate the need for calculus.
You might also try the Physics for Dummies book. I'm not kidding; it's quite reasonable.
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Best Answer 8 years ago
If you look up "kinematics" in Wikipedia, you'll get the correct answer, but the math shown is calculus, which you won't have learned yet. Your high school physics textbook will cover this stuff in detail at a more appropriate level (algebra).
It is possible to make simplifying assumptions (gravity is constant, no air resistance, etc.) and you can be "given" the necessary equations (F = ma, x = x0 + v t + a t2/2) instead of deriving them, which eliminate the need for calculus.
You might also try the Physics for Dummies book. I'm not kidding; it's quite reasonable.
Answer 8 years ago
What's "Freshman Highschool" mean in years ? 15 ?
Answer 8 years ago
. In most US schools, a HS Freshman is in his/her 9th year of school (high school being years 9-12) and about 15 years old.
8 years ago
You might find this useful Your talking about ballistic curves. A lot can be established empirically - i.e. by trial and error.
Throw a weight using a constant force and see how far it goes for a given starting angle (trajectory)
Alter the force or weight to see what difference it makes.
8 years ago
The equations you're looking for are referred to as the kinematic equations. Basic level physics courses go over those in detail.