Projectile Tragectory

This equation calculates the distance a projectile will travel without taking outside forces such as wind resistance and the Coriolis Effect into consideration.  If you are on a flat plane with nothing but gravity affecting your projectile then the shell would theoretically land right where this equation says it will, but that of course never will happen.  It is just sometimes interesting to see what are the basics of projectile trajectory.

The primary use of equations like this would be in military uses of artillery. Modern military technology has programs that takes wind resistance, the Coriolis Effect, the spin and shape of the Earth, and the actual elevation of their platform and target.  That of course takes a much more complex equation with many more variables and steps.  Back in wars like World War II and the Korean War they would make very rough estimates and take ranging shots that the spotter would watch and tell the gunners to make adjustments based on his observations.  This would be very tedious and a very difficult art to master.