A 500m high volcano ejects rocks at a speed of 30 m/s, and the discussion revolves around calculating the maximum horizontal distance the rocks can travel. The initial assumption used the range formula without considering the volcano's height, leading to an incorrect answer of 91.7 m. Participants suggest incorporating the height into the calculations using the equation y = yo + v*t - 0.5*g*t^2, where v is the vertical component of the initial velocity. The correct approach involves relating the height to the time of flight and horizontal distance. This highlights the importance of accounting for both initial velocity and elevation in projectile motion problems.