Optimal Angle to Throw a Stone for Maximum Distance | Flying Away Stone

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To achieve maximum distance when throwing a stone, the angle of projection must ensure that the stone always moves away from the thrower. The discussion highlights the importance of analyzing the trajectory and the relationship between the stone's height and distance from the thrower. It is noted that the velocity of the stone becomes tangent to the line connecting it to the thrower after reaching maximum height. The condition for the stone to always move away involves ensuring that a certain quadratic equation has no real roots. The conclusion drawn is that the optimal angle for throwing the stone is less than 90 degrees, specifically found to be sin²θ ≤ 8/9.
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Homework Statement



At which angle we should throw the ball ,so it always flies away from you?

The Attempt at a Solution



Somewhere after the max height the velocity of the stone is tangent to the line joining with the starting point(you can look to the file).Let's say that angle of this line with the ground is \alpha .So \frac{y}{x}=tan\alpha .And i think that stone always goes away when \frac{mv^2}{R}\geq mgsin\alpha .Here we can find everything except R.I don't know what to put in it.
 

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What exactly is the question word for word?
 
For example you throw throw the ball up at 90 degrees to ground.It reaches max height and comes back to you.If you throw,let's say,at 80 degrees.At max height it further to you than when it hits the ground.So at some time it went closer to you.
 
Write down x(t) and y(t) for the ball with yourself as the origin. Then the squared distance from you to the ball r(t)=x(t)^2+y(t)^2. If it's coming toward you, then r'(t)<0. So you don't want the expression r'(t)=0 to have any real roots. The problem reduces to showing under what conditions a certain quadratic has no real roots.
 
Great!Thanks Dick.I've found
sin^2\theta\leq\frac{8}{9}
 
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Good job. That was fast! I underestimated you. I should have stopped with the first clue.
 
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Dick said:
Good job. That was fast!

I agree. Nicely done. :smile:
 
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