Launch Lab
Land the ball on the pad by changing angle and speed. Six missions on Earth, the Moon, Mars and Jupiter.
First flight
The landing pad is 40 metres away. Find a speed that gets you there.
- Flight time
- –
- Highest point
- –
- Distance
- –
- Tries
- 0
Range on flat ground: distance ≈ speed² × sin(2 × angle) ÷ g, where g = 9.81 on Earth.
The science behind it
Read these after a few missions.
Why 45° throws the farthest
Every throw splits its speed between going up and going forward. Find the perfect split.
Same throw, four planets
Throw the same ball on Earth, the Moon, Mars and Jupiter and watch what gravity does.
Projectile motion with a ball and a tape measure
A 30-minute hands-on activity that pairs with Launch Lab, with questions to ask along the way.
Using Launch Lab in class
Missions 1–3 cover speed, the 45° rule and complementary angles. Missions 4–6 repeat the same ideas under different gravity. Free Play keeps the last five shots on screen, which makes it a good tool for “predict, then test” questions. See the hands-on activity guide.