‘We fired our cannon ’til the barrel melted down, so we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round…’
Tristan’s physics class uses a Civil War cannon to study ballistics. His target is down range at 300 yards or 900 feet. Using Newtonian Physics, Tristan inclines the cannon barrel up at 20 degrees.
Watching through binoculars Tristan estimates his first shot falls 52.343 feet short, so he reloads with the same powder charge and increases the angle of inclination.
Assume the muzzle height remains at 3 feet and gravity is 32.2 feet/second-squared.
His second shot lands precisely on target at 900 feet down range.
Find the angle of inclination Tristan used for his second shot.
Send the correct answer to [email protected] for a chance to win a Tucker’s gift card.
Last week’s winner was John Lovato with Area = 10,861.61448 square units.
Jeff Smith is a former Math teacher and a retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander. Reach him at [email protected].
