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Originally Posted by EricH
Not necessarily. Ignoring air resistance, you are right (I think--I'm trying to remember my physics.) But as soon as air resistance enters the picture, you need to tweak. In 2006, very few robots shot at 45 degrees; most shot at about 30 degrees. This is a slightly different case, though.
You might try adding a backspin, though I am not sure if that would help or hurt due to a non-uniform load.
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I was told in a ballistics class during a science summer camp, you can best maximize distance by shooting at around a 38 degree angle. Whether or not this is factual, I can't say for sure, but it did work with popsicle stick mangonels launching marbles. Since you're launching water balloons at a higher velocity, I'd imagine that angle would shift some, but I don't know how to calculate, or even predict whether it would increase or decrease.
Finally, be sure not to pop the balloon. Calc AB at my school has a final project where they launch water balloons, and typically there are a lot of kids who break them without launching them. You need to be careful not to launch them too hard.