In projectile motion, if release speed is increased while height and angle are unchanged, what is the effect on horizontal distance?

• A. Yes.
• B. No.
• C. Only if angle increases.
• D. Only if height increases.

Answer: (A)

Increasing the release speed while leaving the launch height and angle unchanged will increase the horizontal distance traveled. The projectile’s range is how far it goes horizontally while in the air, which depends on the horizontal speed (v cosθ) and the time of flight. When you raise the initial speed, the horizontal component grows, so you move farther each second. At the same time, the vertical component (v sinθ) is larger, which means the projectile stays in the air longer, giving more time to cover horizontal distance. For launches from the same height and angle, the range increases with speed (in fact, the range scales with v^2). So the horizontal distance becomes greater with a higher release speed.