At the other end of what would come to be known as the Roman Empire, Parthian (Persian)
archers were able to discourage pursuers by firing backwards from the back of a galloping
horse-the famous "Parthian shot."
a. If the speed of the arrow vB the bowstring is vB, that of the horse is vH, the magnitude
of gravitational acceleration is g, and the angle above the horizontal at which the archer
aims is Delta B, what is the range of the shot, measured on the ground from the point of
the shot to the point the arrow falls? Disregard aerodynamic effects and the height
of the horse and rider. Assume the arrow leaves the bow at the angle Delta B at which it is
pointed, as seen by the archer.
b) For vB = 50.0 m/s, vH = 18.0 m/s, and g = 9.81 m/s^2, at what angle Delta B should the
archer aim to maximize the range of part a?
c) For the parameter values of part b, what is the maximum range of the shot, as described
in part a?
d. What is the maximum ground-to-ground range the archer could attain with the same
bow, standing on the ground? That is, how much range does the archer give up for
the Parthian shot? Again, ignore aerodynamic effects and the height of the archer