I have learnt that in theory a projectile launched at 45 degrees will give the maximum range of that projectile in those conditions (eg. wind etc).
But what i fail to understand is why this is so? From experimentation, i have found that the horizontal and vertical velocity of a bottle rocket at 45 degrees is the same. Is the balance between the vertical and horizontal velocity the reason behind maximum range being attained by 45 degrees?
Thanks in advance.