A high school student is seeking assistance with a science project involving a drop tower designed to launch a ping pong ball projectile. The setup includes a 4-inch drop tower and a piston weighing 2.5 kg, but the projectile consistently fails to exceed a launch distance of 5 meters, despite using a lighter 120-gram weight with similar results. The goal is to achieve a distance between 2 and 8 meters, ideally surpassing 8 meters for flexibility in targeting. Discussions suggest that the mass of the piston may not significantly impact the launch due to pressure dynamics and air resistance, and recommendations include experimenting with the angle of projection and ensuring airtight seals. The student is encouraged to analyze the system's dynamics further, including the velocity of the piston and projectile, to identify potential improvements.