Speeding train and bullet.

bogwalrus

what would happen If I was on a train that was travelling as fast as a bullet and I shot a gun in the opposite direction while on the train?

And what would happen of it was a train with no roof or walls? Would the same result occur?

Captain Chaos

The bullet would leave the gun relative to you and the train at the normal speed, but relative to the world passing by the bullet would never move. If you fired it as you went past a station the bullet would be on the track at the station after the trian has passed that location.

bogwalrus

Captain Chaos wrote: »

The bullet would leave the gun relative to you and the train at the normal speed, but relative to the world passing by the bullet would never move. If you fired it as you went past a station the bullet would be on the track at the station after the trian has passed that location.

Cool. I actually can't get my head around it but I know your answer is correct.

bogwalrus

If I was on top of the train would it be the same result?

ozmo

Video here shows it...

http://youtu.be/BLuI118nhzc

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

pretty much, yeah. the bullet might get dragged along by wind turbulences,

but ignoring that, if you fired a gun backwards from a train travelling at the same speed as the bullet, and someone standing on the platform dropped another bullet out of their hand from the same height, both would hit the ground at the same time.


heres a mythbusters vid with a football being shot from a cannon

beaten to it, so heres another mythbusters vid...