Quote Originally Posted by Biciclista View Post
here is what he said:

There's no easier equation to explain: projectile motion!

Toss a ball to somebody, and it takes a parabolic path. Want to know
when it will hit the ground? Solve the quadratic equation!
That's completely impractical. Why would you want to know when it will hit the ground? Most people use intuition and space/time intelligence to determine that. And it takes all the fun out of throwing a ball if you make kids do math about it.

Okay, that's my rant, but a more practical example is that of a missile or bullet. You really need to know where your projectile is going to fall when using weapons. However, the engineers have already done the equation and the user only has to set a few buttons or crank a lever to a certain angle. If you take it from the POV of the engineer, then that's a very practical application.

Karen