# Car Jump Distance Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/physics/car-jump-distance/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The car jump distance calculator predicts how far a car (or bike or skier) flies off a ramp from the take-off height, landing height, ramp angle and speed, ignoring air drag.

## Inputs

- Take-off ramp height (m, cm, mm, km, in, ft, yd, mi)
- Landing ramp height (m, cm, mm, km, in, ft, yd, mi)
- Take-off ramp slope (°, rad, arcmin, arcsec, mrad)
- Take-off speed (km/h, m/s, mph, knots, ft/s)
- Gravitational acceleration g (m/s², ft/s², g, cm/s²)

## Results

- Jump distance
- Flight time
- Maximum height above the ground
- Landing speed
- Landing angle (below horizontal)

## Formula

```
vₓ = v cos θ,  v_y = v sin θ
t = (v_y + √(v_y² + 2g(h₁ − h₂))) / g,  d = vₓ t
```

## Explanation

Stunt drivers, motocross riders and skiers all follow a projectile path after leaving a ramp. The jump distance depends on the speed at the lip, the ramp angle and the height difference between take-off and landing.

### How to use the Car Jump Distance Calculator

- **Take-off ramp height**
- **Landing ramp height**
- **Take-off ramp slope**
- **Take-off speed**
- **Gravitational acceleration g**

Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.

### How it works

The velocity at take-off is split into horizontal and vertical components. The flight time comes from the vertical motion until the vehicle reaches the landing height; the horizontal speed times that time is the jump distance.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterTake-off ramp heightUnits: m, cm, mm, km, in, ft …Landing ramp heightUnits: m, cm, mm, km, in, ft …Take-off ramp slopeUnits: °, rad, arcmin, arcsec, mradTake-off speedUnits: km/h, m/s, mph, knots, ft/sGravitational acceleration gUnits: m/s², ft/s², g, cm/s²

### What each result means

- **Jump distance** = [vx]×[t]
- **Flight time** = [t]
- **Maximum height above the ground** = [Take-off ramp height] + [vy]^2÷(2×[Gravitational acceleration g])
- **Landing speed** = sqrt([vx]^2 + ([vy] - [Gravitational acceleration g]×[t])^2)
- **Landing angle (below horizontal)** = deg(atan2([Gravitational acceleration g]×[t] - [vy], [vx]))

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Take-off ramp height** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Take-off ramp height (m)Jump distance (m)0.520.3940.7521.288122.1151.2522.8881.523.617224.967

## Worked example

Inputs — Take-off ramp height: 1 m; Landing ramp height: 0.5 m; Take-off ramp slope: 15 °; Take-off speed: 72 km/h; Gravitational acceleration g: 9.80665 m/s².

Results — **Jump distance = 22.115 m**; Flight time = 1.145 s; Maximum height above the ground = 2.366 m; Landing speed = 72.88 km/h; Landing angle (below horizontal) = 17.39 °.

## Key terms

- **Take-off speed**: Speed at the lip of the ramp.

## FAQ

**Why do real cars jump shorter than this?**
Air drag, suspension compression and the car rotating in the air all shorten the jump.

**What angle gives the longest jump?**
Around 45° on level ground, but steep ramps also launch the car nose-up.

**Can a car land safely from any jump?**
No – the vertical landing speed must be within what the suspension and occupants can survive.

**Does the car's mass matter?**
Not for the distance without drag, but it matters a lot for the landing forces.


## Sources

- [OpenStax – University Physics Volume 1](https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-1)
- [HyperPhysics (Georgia State University)](http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html)