A dude jumping on a moving trampoline is a great excuse to dive into the unexpected properties of projectile motion.

In the Projectile Motion episode of NBC Learn's "The Science of NFL Football," you see that punted footballs travel in an arc known to mathematicians as a parabola.

Most people know that a ball without air resistance (traditional projectile motion) goes the farthest if you throw it at a 45 degree angle. What if there is air resistance? Why is 45 the best ...