In shot put, the shot is put (thrown) from above the athlete’s shoulder level. Is the launch angle that produces the greatest range 45o, less than 45o, or greater than 45o?
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Solution
It can be seen from this figure that the higher the angle of release (say θ ), the shorter the horizontal distance x (compare blue and red trajectories). Therefore to increase the range, the shot put must be released at a smaller angle which would be less than 45°.