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AS Daily A Level Physics question

2026-07-12 OCR A Mechanics & Materials (M3) 3.1.3(a) 3.1.3(b)

A stadium t-shirt cannon fires two shirts at the same speed from pitch level: Shot 1 at 30° and Shot 2 at 60° above the horizontal. Ignore air resistance and assume both are caught back at pitch level. Which statement must be true?

  1. A The 60° shot stays in the air about 1.7 times as long as the 30° shot, and both land at the same horizontal distance. (correct)
  2. B Both shots spend the same time in the air, but the 60° shot lands farther.
  3. C The 60° shot stays in the air about 1.7 times as long and also lands farther than the 30° shot.
  4. D The 30° shot stays in the air longer and lands farther than the 60° shot.

Answer

The correct answer is A.

Correct: A — The 60° shot stays in the air about 1.7 times as long as the 30° shot, and both land at the same horizontal distance. A The time of flight scales with the vertical component (∝ sinθ), so t60/t30 = sin60°/sin30° = (√3/2)/(1/2) = √3 ≈ 1.7, and the range depends on sin(2θ), giving equal ranges for 30° and 60°. B Times are not equal because the vertical components differ; although 60° has more hang time, the range is not greater for complementary angles. C The time ratio is right, but the range is not greater — sin(120°) = sin(60°) equals sin(2×30°), so the ranges are the same. D Both claims are reversed: 30° has a shorter flight time than 60°, and their ranges are equal when launch speeds match.

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