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 A question for you physics experts! (7)

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A question for you physics experts!

I am riding a bullet train travelling foward at 800 feet per second. I am facing the rear of the train with a pistol in my hand and discharge a bullet that, for the sake of this experiment, travels also at 800 feet per second. What would happen?

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Think of the motion of the bullet relative to the gun and the contents of the train, not the external system that is the world. The bullet rests within the chamber of the gun, or the magazine, and is moving at 800fts^-1 along with everything else in the train, relative to the outside; however, relative to the internal system, the bullet is not moving at all. Suppose that one is looking across the tracks before the train passes, and at the exact moment that the gun within the train passes your line of sight, the bullet is fired. you would see, if the bullet were perceptible, the bullet remain stationary relative to the view through the window on the opposing side of the train, but the train would keep moving, leaving the bullet behind. When the bullet exits the train, assuming no alteration to its momentum due to the friction with the wall of window through which it exits, it would appear to simply fall to the ground, and have no momentum forwards or backwards.

Side: Elementary

The train derails and flies into a gully. It sits, smoking, as the few survivors struggle to maintain consciousness. You look around, squinting, trying to see through the dense smoke. You realize that, in your haste, you've overlooked the fact that there are no other survivors; you automatically assumed there would be survivors, in a moment of self-proclaimed clairvoyance and psychological ignorance. Slowly but surely, you stand, surveying the wreckage around you. From what you can tell, what with so much smoke impairing your vision, you are close to the front of the train; the caboose cannot be seen, though neither can much else. Several bodies lay around you, soaked in blood and charcoal, body parts mangled in different ways.

In one man's hand you see a .38 snub nose pistol. You take it from him and stick it in your belt, around back of you. You never know: something could come up where a pistol would be welcome. The sky is a pale blue, you realize as you look up. A solitary hawk flies overhead, screeching as it passes. In the distance there is a mountain; you can barely make it out. As you begin climbing through the remains of the train, attempting to reach ground and some kind of open area, your body receives a shock. You realize with dread that the temperature is far lower than you had expected. You look to your hands; they are a bluish tint. Your breath appears in clouds in front of you. Your bare arms are covered in frost. Frost? For Christ's sake, how long had you been there? Had the elements really had time to overcome your body in such a capacity?

After several minutes of searching your fellow passengers, you manage to procure a pair of woolen gloves, a torn winter cap, a thin coat and a heavy coat, both of which you gladly adorn, and a pair of military-style boots. When you went barefoot for several seconds to change shoes, you catch a glimpse of your feet; bruised, blue, and obviously freezing, your thin moccasins had not done you much good. After properly clothing yourself for the weather, you are finally able to look to the horizon for a landmark of some sort. You see mountains all around you, clear skies, frozen grass on the ground and a dense-looking forest of conifers some several miles away.

You clench your jaw, cross yourself and begin to journey to the forest, hoping for some sort of shelter, or perhaps even a sign of society. Alaska is an unforgiving place if one knows not where they are going.

If you read all this, let me know here, and I will create a debate where you can continue the story.

Side: alaska
1 point

I couldn't see anything else but You

You got me at you

Side: alaska
2 points

I am not physics expert, but its all about perspective. Looking as if you fired the bullet (on the train), it would appear to be traveling 1600 ft/s away from you.

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From the perspective of the point from which the bullet was fired (the point from which it left the moving system of the train), it would appear to be going 800 ft/s.

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From the perspective of the ISS, it would depend on the bullet's position on the earth (distance from the poles). Assuming it is on the poles, it would appear to be traveling 1040 mph + 800ft/s (if fired in the same direction as the earths rotation) or 1040 mph-800ft/s (if fired in the opposite direction).

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From the perspective of someone in our solar system, not in orbit around the sun, it is moving 67,000 mph (at this point the 800 ft/s is irrelevant and inaccurate as one must factor into account the fact that it is going in circles around the earth--assuming the gravity is not strong enough to pulling it down).

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Further out, we must take into account the movement of our galaxy away from the point of singularity.

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In summation, it is all about perspective.

Again, I am no physics experts, and my views are not infallible.

Side: Perspective

Einstein's theory of relativity conforms what you stated .

Side: Perspective

to you it would seem that the bullet is travelling 800ft per sec but to someone outside it would seem that it is not moving away from you

Side: special relativity
1 point

the inside of the train is pressurized so it would work. just like you can walk in the train. right? I'm only in ninth grade leave me alone if thats stupid!

Side: special relativity