Originally posted by: TuxDave
I'm basing my solution on this other physics question. Does anyone remember the question that if you're trying to shoot an apple that just starts to fall from a tree, at what angle should you shoot at it. The answered turned out that you want to aim your gun directly at the apple before it starts falling, and as the apple falls, your bullet will curve equally and hit the apple.
Using this same principle, assume you're trying to hit an apple 140m away and some distance off the ground. Your gun is at 35 degrees and when the bullet hits the apple, you want it such that it be 21 meters off the ground. Using the same principle, your gun should be aiming directly at the apple so the initial apple height should be:
140*tan(35) meters
The distance the apple will fall before getting hit 21 meters off the ground is:
140*tan(35)-21=77.029 meters
The time for it takes the apple to fall such a distance is:
0.5*9.8*t^2=77.029 meters
t = 3.965 (using the later of the two solutions).
If you want the bullet traverse 140m horizontally in 3.965secs, your initial velocity (@ 35 degrees) should be:
140m=v*cos(35)*3.965
v = 43.104 m/s
QED
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