Car Jump Distance Calculator (ramp speed & angle → jump length, speed to clear a gap)

Understanding the car jump distance calculator — concept and principle

Film stunts, video games and physics classes all ask the same question: how far will a car fly off a ramp? This calculator treats the car as a projectile without air drag and finds the jump distance, flight time, peak height and the speed needed to clear a gap.

Ignoring drag, 16.67 m/s at 15° carries 14.16 m, clearing a 12 m gap by 2.16 m.

How it is calculated

Horizontal speed vx = v cos θ stays constant; vertical position y = v sin θ × t − ½gt².
Landing time at height h: t = (v sin θ + √(v² sin²θ − 2gh)) ÷ g.
Jump distance = vx × t; peak height above the lip = (v sin θ)² ÷ (2g).
Speed to clear a gap D at height h: v = √(gD² ÷ (2cos²θ (D tan θ − h))).

The principle

Once the wheels leave the ramp, only gravity acts (ignoring air), so horizontal motion is uniform and vertical motion is uniformly accelerated. Combining the two gives a parabola. For landing at the take-off height, the range is v² sin 2θ ÷ g, greatest at 45°. Distance grows with the square of speed, so a small increase in speed adds a lot of distance.

Worked example

Default inputs: 60 km/h, ramp angle 15°, landing at the same height, gap 12 m, g = 9.80665 m/s².

v = 60 ÷ 3.6 = 16.67 m/s.
Flight time = 2 × 16.67 × sin 15° ÷ 9.80665 ≈ 0.88 s.
Jump distance = 16.67² × sin 30° ÷ 9.80665 ≈ 14.16 m; margin over the 12 m gap = 2.16 m.
Highest point above the lip = (16.67 × sin 15°)² ÷ (2 × 9.80665) ≈ 0.95 m.
Minimum speed for 12 m = √(9.80665 × 12 ÷ sin 30°) ≈ 15.34 m/s ≈ 55.2 km/h; landing speed = 60 km/h.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Take-off speed (km/h)” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Take-off speed (km/h)	Jump distance, horizontal (m)
15	0.89
30	3.54
45	7.97
60	14.16
75	22.13
90	31.87
120	56.65

How to read the result

The margin tells you how sensitive the jump is: here a speed only about 8% lower would just reach the gap. Real cars lose speed to drag, pitch nose-down or nose-up and need a downward landing ramp to survive, so this ideal estimate is optimistic and only suitable for films, games and classroom problems.

Common mistakes

Using km/h in formulas that need m/s.
Ignoring the landing height difference.
Expecting 45° to be practical for a car.
Forgetting that air drag shortens real jumps.

Keep in mind: This is a physics estimate for education and entertainment, not a guide for stunts. Never attempt vehicle jumps; professional stunts involve specialist engineering and safety teams.

Frequently asked questions

How far can a car jump at 60 km/h?

In this idealised model off a 15° ramp, about 14 m on level landing.

What ramp angle gives the longest jump?

45° for equal take-off and landing heights, ignoring drag, but steep ramps are impractical for cars.

Why does speed matter so much?

Range grows with the square of speed.

Sources: Halliday, Resnick & Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (projectile motion) · OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, Section 4.3 Projectile Motion

Checked 9 Nov 2026. Projectile equations x = (v₀ cos θ₀)t and y = (v₀ sin θ₀)t − ½gt² (standard kinematics, as given in University of Central Florida PHY2048 chapter 4 lecture notes); standard gravity 9.80665 m/s².

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