Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-1-paper-of-the-university-of-oxford/2019-resit/2/solution
Past exam of the physics 1 paper of the University of Oxford 2019 resit 2 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Write the linear drag as , with , and let be the projectile's mass. Taking upward as positive, Newton's second law givesThe downward terminal velocity is , whereEquivalently, if the drag acceleration is specified as , then . Solving the first-order equation,The highest point occurs at , soFor an upward launch this root is positive and there, confirming a maximum height. As , expanding the logarithm gives the drag-free result . A horizontal launch has its highest point at launch; a downward launch from the ground does not have a later airborne maximum.
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