By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
A car leaving a ramp behaves like any projectile: its horizontal range depends on launch speed and ramp angle. This calculator applies the flat-ground range equation so you can estimate the gap a stunt can clear, assuming the landing is at the same height as the take-off.
Projectile range for a car launched from a ramp.
R = v² · sin(2θ) / g
The range is longest at 45°. A landing lower than the take-off adds distance, so this estimate is conservative for a downhill landing.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| v | Launch speed at the top of the ramp, in metres per second. |
| θ | Ramp angle above the horizontal. |
| R | Horizontal distance before returning to launch height, in metres. |
At 20 m/s and 15°, sin(30°) = 0.5, so the car travels about 20.4 m before dropping back to take-off height.
Continue with the Conservation of Momentum Calculator, Displacement Calculator, or the Free Fall Calculator — or browse more kinematics tools and all physics calculators.
Range is proportional to sin(2θ). That reaches its maximum when 2θ is 90°, which means θ is 45°.
Results are computed from the standard equations of classical mechanics. Unit conversions use the SI definitions published by NIST. Air resistance is ignored unless the calculator names a drag model.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026