A-Level Mathematics Revision — Projectiles
Revise Projectiles for A-Level Mathematics with a topic explanation, worked example and common mistakes. Check the board notes for specification differences.
At a glance
- What StudyVector is
- An exam-practice platform with board-aligned questions, explanations, and adaptive next steps.
- This topic
- Projectiles in A-Level Mathematics: explanation, examples, and practice links on this page.
- Who it’s for
- Students revising A-Level Mathematics for UK exams.
- Exam boards
- Check your course page and the topic board notes for supported specifications.
- Free plan
- Sign up free to use tutor paths and feedback on your answers. Free access is Free daily revision · No card required. Pricing
- What makes it different
- Syllabus-shaped practice and progress tracking—not generic AI answers.
This page includes a topic explanation and a worked example. Check your course for current practice coverage.
Recommended next topic
Next step: Quantities & Units in Mechanics
Continue in the same course — structured practice and explanations on StudyVector.
Go to Quantities & Units in MechanicsTopic explanation
What is Projectiles?
Projectiles at A-Level involves analysing the motion of an object that is thrown or projected into the air. You will learn to model the motion of a projectile using vectors and the constant acceleration equations, and to find quantities such as the time of flight, range, and maximum height.
Board notes: All A-Level Maths boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR) cover projectiles in their mechanics content. The complexity of the problems, such as those involving projectiles landing on a different level, is similar across the boards.
Step-by-step explanationWorked examples
Worked example
A ball is thrown with an initial speed of 20 m/s at an angle of 30° to the horizontal. What is the maximum height reached by the ball? The initial vertical velocity is 20*sin(30°) = 10 m/s. At the maximum height, the vertical velocity is 0. Using the suvat equation v² = u² + 2as, we have 0² = 10² + 2*(-9.8)*s. This gives 19.6s = 100, so s = 100/19.6 = 5.10 m (to 3 s.f.).
Practise this topic
Start with low-focus cards for Projectiles, then move into full exam-style practice when you want the heavier session.
Common mistakes
- 1Confusing the horizontal and vertical components of the motion. The horizontal motion has constant velocity, while the vertical motion has constant acceleration due to gravity.
- 2Making sign errors with the acceleration due to gravity. It is usually taken as -9.8 m/s², but it is important to be consistent with the chosen positive direction.
- 3Incorrectly using the trigonometric functions to find the initial horizontal and vertical components of the velocity. The horizontal component is v*cos(θ) and the vertical component is v*sin(θ), where v is the initial speed and θ is the angle of projection.
Projectiles exam questions
Check the available question sets for Projectiles. Use your course and exam board to confirm which practice is relevant.
Projectiles exam questionsGet help with Projectiles
Get a personalised explanation for Projectiles from the StudyVector tutor. Ask follow-up questions and work through problems with step-by-step support.
Open tutorSave your progress in Projectiles
Start a free account for low-focus question cards, feedback and Play routes across available topics. Free daily limits apply; no card required.
Continue your revision
A public question for Projectiles is still being reviewed. Your course page shows the topics currently available for practice.
Continue with Projectiles
Create a free account to keep your course choice and save your practice progress.
Start free low-focus cardsAlready have an account? Log in
Frequently asked questions
How do you find the range of a projectile?
The range of a projectile is the horizontal distance it travels before it returns to its initial height. You can find the range by first finding the time of flight, and then multiplying this by the horizontal component of the velocity.
What is the time of flight of a projectile?
The time of flight is the total time the projectile is in the air. You can find the time of flight by considering the vertical motion and finding the time it takes for the projectile to return to its initial height.