Minimizing the Kinetic Energy of a Small Projectile

by Kjersti Raabe

Submitted : Fall 2012

This project seeks to find the launch angle that would minimize the kinetic energy of a ping-pong ball when it hits a wall 10 feet away. We begin by combining two equations describing kinetic energy and velocity. The final equation describes the kinetic energy of the ball in terms of the angle. We then take the derivative and find the solutions of the equation to find the angle that minimizes the kinetic energy of the ball. It was found that a ping-pong ball should be launched at an angle of approximately 14° above the horizontal to minimize the kinetic energy of that ball when it hits a wall 10 feet away.

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