In a conversion from military to peacetime use, a missile with a maximum horizontal range of 170 is being adapted for studying the upper atmosphere. What is the maximum altitude it can achieve if launched vertically?

Question

In a conversion from military to peacetime use, a missile with a maximum horizontal range of 170  is being adapted for studying the upper atmosphere. What is the maximum altitude it can achieve if launched vertically?

drwls · Answer

170 what? inches? furlongs? light years?

Maximum horizontal range (which is achieved when fired at 45 degrees) is Vo^2/g

Maximum vertical height (achieved when fired straight up) is
Vo^2/(2*g)

Vo is the launch velocity.

You figure it out.

Student · Answer

Whoever posted the answer to this problem is a moron. Yes, the launch angle in the horizontal direction is 45, but that is not the equation for the Max vertical distance.