If you were in a plane and shot a bullet vertically down from a gun and dropped a bullet by hand, at the same time, would they reach the earth at the same time?
Asked by: Jorgen
Answer
Even if you fire a bullet straight down from
a plane at a high enough altitude for it to reach 'terminal velocity' before hitting the
ground (that is when air resistance would slow the bullet until the force of gravity
exactly balances drag and a constant fall rate is established) the bullet's initial velocity from the gun would still give it a head start and let it reach the ground before a dropped bullet that started from the same height at zero vertical velocity.
Answered by: Paul Walorski, B.A. Physics, Part-time Physics Instructor
'In a way science is a key to the gates of heaven, and the same key opens the gates of hell, and we do not have any instructions as to which is which gate.
Shall we throw away the key and never have a way to enter the gates of heaven? Or shall we struggle with the problem of which is the best way to use the key?'