Thrown horizontally from 320 m at 10 m/s

A ball is thrown horizontally at 10 m/s from the top of a 320 m tower (g = 10 m/s²). Find the time of flight and the horizontal distance.

Step-by-step

1. t = √(2h/g) = √(2×320/10) = 8
   Free fall vertically: the time to land depends only on the height
2. x = v₀t = 10×8 = 80
   Uniform horizontal motion at constant velocity

Why it works

Vertically the ball starts from rest and falls freely, so the height gives the time; horizontally it moves at a steady 10 m/s, so the distance is that speed times the falling time.

Common mistakes

• Computing the time as 320 ÷ 10 = 32 s.
• Believing that a small horizontal speed makes the fall shorter.

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