A physics question

F1tzwell

F1tzwell

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In one hand you are holding a bullet in the other a gun. You drop the bullet and fire the gun at the same time. Which bullet hits the ground first?
 
Assuming the loose bullet and the end of the barrel are exactly the same distance from the ground and the bullet fired from the gun breaks the plane that the loose bullet is at i'd guess the fired bullet would hit the ground first as it's traveling around 1,700 mph. Terminal velocity of an object by gravity is only 120 mph.
 
Both hit at the same time since the gravitational pull on each of them is the same.
 
oh and handgun bullets travel around 1000 FPS muzzle velocity. thats about 700 MPH. M16A2 is 3100 FPS which is 2100MPH. But they would hit
 
TcThief said:
Both hit at the same time since the gravitational pull on each of them is the same.
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Thats what it's supposed to be. But according to the math factoring in atmosphere there is at least a difference in the sub second range if not more. But it wouldn't be the first time that atmosphere versus vacuum complicated a physics question. Feather versus Hammer is easier to demonstrate in space.

Galileo's experiment was not the air troubled feather. His supposed test was a better solution. Spheres of differing weight which wouldn't be effected by unequal drag coefficients.
 
Gravity has a constant effect regardless of the mass of the object. A feather and a bowling ball will fall at the same rate in a total vacuum. Gravity should have the same effect on the two bullets. the bullets should hit the ground at the same time as long as the variables that effect them are the same. It would be hard to calculate the effect wind pressure would have on the bullet out of the gun since it could travel through high and low pressure areas during its flight.

I've been watching Neil DeGrasse Tyson podcasts brought me back to my physics courses.
 
assuming that you aiming the muzzled of the gun at the ground and dropping the bullet from an equal hieght as the muzzle, I would say with 100% most certainty that the bullet accelerating at 1100 FPS hits the ground 1st lol.
 
Dirty-Lex said:
assuming that you aiming the muzzled of the gun at the ground and dropping the bullet from an equal hieght as the muzzle, I would say with 100% most certainty that the bullet accelerating at 1100 FPS hits the ground 1st lol.
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That's not the question. While it doesn't specify the muzzle pitch, the assumption is one fires a gun down range. The confusion to those of us that don't understand the math is that the bullet while traveling very fast, has a great distance to travel as well. But anyone who has shot at a moderate range target can tell you it still gets there pretty quickly. I personally have never fired a hand gun or rifle with nothing on the horizon. So without knowing anything I can only guess a round is going to take a second or two to hit the ground after 1/4 to a 1/2 mile.
 
No that is not the assumption.

since you didn't state the parameters of the experiment, it's open to interpretation.

so eat a fat one rain!!! :P
 
Dirty-Lex said:
No that is not the assumption.

since you didn't state the parameters of the experiment, it's open to interpretation.

so eat a fat one rain!!! :p
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Right but the question is posed in physics text books and has been for a long time. The math they are going to present is clearly going to be with the muzzle on a level plane. Also the result shouldn't be easy. If it was easy or not shocking they wouldn't bother asking.
 
The question doesnt say that though.

Which is important. And my point
 
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it is undefined, you'd have solve for it based off of the parameters given in the problem. If they are not given, then the problem is flawed or you can just make up you're own.
 
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