Main Concept

The following example models a quarterback throwing a football down a field. Set the initial velocity with the left slider, and the initial angle with the right slider (the arrow will be at the same angle as the ball will be thrown, and the size of the arrow corresponds to the initial speed of the ball). Click Throw to see how the ball will move and how far it will travel. The y-intercept is set at 2 yards, which is a reasonable first approximation to the distance of a football from the ground when thrown by a quarterback.

Note that we are ignoring both air resistance and the presence of very large opposition players who are trying to prevent the completion of the pass!

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MathApps/NaturalSciences