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AS Daily A Level Physics question

2026-01-30 OCR A Projectile motion (Module 3) OCR-A Module 3.1 Kinematics — Projectile motion OCR-A Module 3.1 Kinematics — Equations of motion (constant acceleration)

A student uses a launcher to fire a small ball from ground level at 35° to the horizontal on a calm day. Air resistance is negligible. If the launch speed is doubled while keeping the angle the same, what happens to the horizontal range?

  1. A The range becomes four times larger. (correct)
  2. B The range becomes twice as large.
  3. C The range becomes about 1.4 times larger.
  4. D The range does not change.

Answer

The correct answer is A.

Correct: A — The range becomes four times larger. For a fixed launch angle and g, the horizontal range is proportional to the square of the launch speed, so doubling the speed gives (2u)^2 = 4u^2 and hence four times the range. B assumes the range is directly proportional to speed, missing the square dependence. C confuses the relationship by implying a square-root change rather than a square change. D is wrong because changing the launch speed changes both the horizontal speed and time of flight, so the range cannot stay the same.

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