What Angle Should a Football Kicker Use for Maximum Hang Time on a 65 Yard Kick?

  • Thread starter Thread starter twenty5
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Gr Physics
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the optimal angle for a football kicker to achieve maximum hang time on a 65-yard kick. The kicker's initial velocity is given as 27 yards/sec, and the problem involves analyzing projectile motion under the influence of gravity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between horizontal and vertical components of motion, questioning how to derive time and angle from the given parameters. Some express uncertainty about converting units and the implications of using yards versus meters.

Discussion Status

The conversation is active, with participants sharing equations and attempting to clarify the relationships between variables. There is an ongoing exploration of how to eliminate variables to solve for the angle, with no clear consensus yet on the approach.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the requirement to use yards and yards/sec for calculations, and there is discussion about the gravitational constant's conversion to fit the context of the problem. The assumption of a flat field is also mentioned, impacting the vertical displacement considerations.

  • #31
LowlyPion said:
No. It's 65 yards. It has to cross the 50 to get to the other 1 yard line.

Besides if the problem says it's 65 yards that's how I would roll.

yah sorry I editted, it's 65 yards =P
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #32
ok I am trying to figure how this happened at the moment



from :

65/Vo*Cosθ = T = 2*Vo*Sinθ/g


to :

65 = 2*Vo2*Sinθ*Cosθ/g = Vo2*Sin2θ/g
 
  • #33
I can't seem to get to where you are at X_X sorrryyy
 
  • #34
twenty5 said:
65/Vo*Cosθ = T = 2*Vo*Sinθ/g

Multiply both sides by Vo*Cosθ
 
  • #35
LowlyPion said:
Multiply both sides by Vo*Cosθ

both sides including t? or just the very right side?
 
  • #36
ok when i multiply both sides by Vo*Cosθ, I got...
65= T = 2(Vo*sinθ)(27cosθ)/g
 
  • #37
ok i got the
65 = 2*Vo*Sinθ*Cosθ
but how did you get the...

65 = 2*Vo*Sinθ*Cosθ = Vo*Sin2θ/g
 
  • #38
ohh ok I got here now!

65 = 2*Vo2*Sinθ*Cosθ/g = Vo2*Sin2θ/g

since
Vo2*Sin2θ/g = 65, how would I isolate the θ?
 
Last edited:
  • #39
ok what I did now is,
65 = 272sin2θ / g
(65*(-9.8)) / 272 = sin2θ

how do I isolate the θ now?
it's the final question then I think that would be the answer afterwards =P
 
  • #40
hmm...I got -30.46o which means the person is shooting the ball into the ground and the ball is going at super high speeds which makes it eat the dirt and make a parabolic tunnel in the ground to the other side? loool wth?
 
  • #41
twenty5 said:
hmm...I got -30.46o which means the person is shooting the ball into the ground and the ball is going at super high speeds which makes it eat the dirt and make a parabolic tunnel in the ground to the other side? loool wth?

You got the right angle if you are supposed to treat g as 9.8 yds/s2.

But the wrong sign.

Except you need to recognize that there is another angle for which there is a solution. Consider that Sin(θ) = Sin(180-θ)

What is 1/2 of that angle?

And won't that angle be greater with respect to the horizon ... meaning longer time of flight?
 
  • #42
LowlyPion said:
You got the right angle.

But the wrong sign.

Except you need to recognize that there is another angle for which there is a solution. Consider that Sin(θ) = Sin(180-θ)

What is 1/2 of that angle?

And won't that angle be greater with respect to the horizon ... meaning longer time of flight?

sin(θ) = sin(180 - 30.46)?

or do you mean, that θ is in the top left quadrant O_O... anyhow... sin(149.54) and divide that angle by 2 would give me.. 74o or so O_O so which one would be correct?
 
  • #43
twenty5 said:
sin(θ) = sin(180 - 30.46)?

or do you mean, that θ is in the top left quadrant O_O... anyhow... sin(149.54) and divide that angle by 2 would give me.. 74o or so O_O so which one would be correct?

No.

What was the 2θ angle you found?

180 - 2θ = 90 - θ.
 
  • #44
LowlyPion said:
No.

What was the 2θ angle you found?

180 - 2θ = 90 - θ.

I found that θ = -30.46o

from...

-0.874 = sin2θ

sin-1 (-0.874) = 2θ
 

Similar threads

Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
6K
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
9K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
11K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K