What Is the Optimal Firing Angle for Maximum Range When a Car Moves at 20 m/s?

In summary, The maximum range of a bullet fired from a toy pistol mounted on a car at rest is R0=40m. When the car is moving in the direction of firing with uniform v=velocity 20m/s, on a horizontal surface, the acute angle of inclination of the pistol for maximum range is 45 degrees.
  • #36
That's it. Note that the quadratic gives two solutions. The maximum is at 60° as you already found. Also of interest is the minimum that occurs at -180° and gives zero range. It shows that if the pistol is fired horizontally and opposite to the direction of the car's motion, your friend will see the projectile just drop to the ground. That's the angle at which the projectile does not move horizontally, not straight up as you previously imagined. I hope all this is clear now.
 
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  • #37
.As the bullet has initial max range of 40 m so from there u can get value of u

Now R = [ucos (theta) +20] [2usin (theta)]/g [time of flight will not change]
= u x u sin2(theta)/g + 40 u sin(theta)/g
Now differentiate it with respect to theta to get the max range
I have not solved it. but i strongly feel that it will give max range for angle 45
For various differnt concepts refer Aavya classes Physics on you tube
 
  • #38
arvind12345 said:
I have not solved it. but i strongly feel that it will give max range for angle 45
It is foolhardy to claim an answer by feelings alone without the algebra to back them up. In this case, the angle of inclination of the pistol for maximum range is not 45o but 60o.
 
  • #39
kuruman said:
It is foolhardy to claim an answer by feelings alone without the algebra to back them up. In this case, the angle of inclination of the pistol for maximum range is not 45o but 60o.
Thanks for reply. Ya u r right. Backing of algebra is needed.
 
  • #40
kuruman said:
It is foolhardy to claim an answer by feelings alone without the algebra to back them up. In this case, the angle of inclination of the pistol for maximum range is not 45o but 60o.
As per my understanding differentiation of below expression with respect to theta and keeping it equal to zero will give ans
= u x u sin2(θ)/g + 40 u sin(θ)/g
on differentiating and putting it to 0 we get finally
40 cos2θ +40 cosθ = 0
=> cosθ x cosθ -1 +cosθ=0
so its a quadratic eq which gives cosθ=1/2 and θ =60
=> so this is algebra to counter my feeling made in earlier post..:smile::smile:
 
  • #41
Well done!
 

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