Ball Throw Paths
Choose the angle and speed of a throw and see how far it goes. Stack up paths from different angles to find the one that travels farthest, then try to hit a target.
Throw a few times at different angles and compare the distances.
Distances will be listed here as you throw.
A simplified teaching model (no air resistance).
How to play
Move the "Angle" and "Speed" sliders and press "Throw". Each path stays on screen, so keep throwing at new angles and compare. The table lists how far each throw went. In "Target" you look for the angle and speed that land in the red target. "Run it for me" has the computer throw at several angles (or, in Target mode, find a throw that hits).
Learn more
Without air resistance, a ball moves sideways at a steady speed while gravity pulls it down, tracing a curve. The distance is speed squared x sin(2 x angle) / gravity (9.8 m/s squared). Since sin(2 x angle) is largest at 45 degrees, 45 degrees goes farthest for a given speed. Two angles that add up to 90, like 30 and 60, land at the same spot. Real baseballs and soccer balls feel air resistance, which makes the best angle a little lower than 45 degrees. This is a simplified teaching model with no air resistance.