Re: A Parents' Day gem

[rgrandy@ruf.rice.edu (Richard Grandy)]

At 8:55 AM 10/27/97, herbgottlieb@juno.com wrote:
> nguilber@peddie.k12.nj.us (nguilber) writes:
> > YOU were teaching that a bullet FIRED from a level gun and a bullet
> DROPPED >from the gun when the shot was fired will both hit the ground at
> the SAME TIME!"
>
> >    "This is witchcraft!" the parent hollered.  "WITCHCRAFT!!!"  And
> > he turned and stormed out of the classroom.
>
> >    No word yet on whether or not the kid has dropped physics.
> On the other hand....  The parent might have been correct in her
> insistance that the dropped bullet would strike the ground before the
> fired bullet. It is very probable that she knew that the earth is
> spherical rather than flat. Thus a bullet that is fired from a level gun
> has a further vertical distance to fall before it reaches the earth's
> surface than a bullet that is dropped straight down.
>
> In fact, if the muzzle velocity of the gun  was sufficiently great, the
> fired  bullet might travel for several minutes, hours, days, or even
> weeks before it return to the ground.
>
> Herb Gottlieb from New York City
> (Where we no longer teach that the earth is flat .... and kids like the
> one above go into honors physics)



I would not ASSUME that the parent knows the earth is spherical.  If the
earth is flat but the force of the gunpowder pushes the bullet horizontally
the force of gravity may not take effect for some considerable time.
Meanwhile, the merely dropped bullet is just, well, dropping.  :-)

REG
Rice
Houston
TX
USA
The Solar System
The Milky Way
???

--
Janice D.Bordeaux, Ph.D.
Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning
230A Mudd Building MS-120
Rice University
6100 Main Street
Houston TX 77005-1892
Phone:713.737.5653