Word problem

A buddy and I were sitting here pondering some off the wall crap..
Okay say you're on the Japanese "Bullet Train" going 700mph, and you reach out the window (just a hypothetical question, otherwise your arm would get ripped off) with an M16 and shoot a bullet forward, which let's say goes the same 700mph when fired. Would the bullet go 1400mph before drag brings it down, or would it float in front of you? Also, if you fire backwards, would the bullet just sit still and fall to the ground? 700mph - 700mph = 0mph, or would it actually go 700mph backwards from it's point of fire? Any thoughts?

700 mph? I dont think so, considering that the speed of sound is only 61 mph faster than that. The Bullet Trains only go 300 mph. But thats beside the point. I dont know physics...yet...but Id imagine that if you shot a gun pointed in the same direction as you were heading, the speed of the bullet would increase by the speed at which you were travelling. I would think that it would have the same principle going backwards. But if anybody here actually knows physics well please fill us in....because now Im curious.

They've broken the sound barrier with it.. only for about 10 seconds, but it's gone like 770 something.. That's just what he told me, I haven't researched it though. Anyways, whether it does or not I was just using it as a generic example.

just a guess.

first question, bullet would travel 1400 mph because the bullet was released at 700mph with respect to where it was plus the 700 mph with respect to ground.

am not sure about the second question, maybe it would travel away from you 700mph because your traveling 700mph but would travel 0mph with respect to the ground (700mph-700mph).

i think its like that. am not too sure though.

This would probably be easier to comprehend with slower objects, like travelling 60mph in a convertible and your buddy chucks a baseball backwards. That seems a little easier, and I believe it would go 0mph relative to the ground.

that was just my guess but lets go with the baseball. and lets neglect air friction because it plays a big factor to everything. i know that the first one, when traveling 60 mph...and you throw the ball forward at 60 mph, the ball would be traveling 60 mph with respect to you and 120 mph (60 mph + 60 mph) with respect to the ground. what am not so sure is aboutt he second situation but my guess is that it will travel 60 mph away from you with respect to you and the car but will travel 0 mph with respect to the ground...i think. :dunno:

How bout I go try on the way home today and let you know :) I really do want to try, and have somebody videotaping it from the side.

you could try but air friction will play a big part on that.

Oh yeah... maybe I'll take my gun and drive 700mph instead :lol:

Actually I stand corrected....the Bullet Train travels 300 K/PH not mph....so it actually only travels at about 186 mph. The fastest speed ever reached by a bullet train was 277 mph.

Cool, you just proved my always-right buddy wrong too, http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html :)

Ok well hypothetically, in my opinion if a train COULD travel 700mph and a gun did shoot 700mph also, the bullet would most likely never leave the gun.

What ever happened to Fritz? He would definately know. That guy knew everything. Smart prick.

Yes the bullet will travel with the ADDED velocity,. look at aircraft machine guns!!!!

A buddy and I were sitting here pondering some off the wall crap..
Okay say you're on the Japanese "Bullet Train" going 700mph, and you reach out the window (just a hypothetical question, otherwise your arm would get ripped off) with an M16 and shoot a bullet forward, which let's say goes the same 700mph when fired. Would the bullet go 1400mph before drag brings it down, or would it float in front of you? Also, if you fire backwards, would the bullet just sit still and fall to the ground? 700mph - 700mph = 0mph, or would it actually go 700mph backwards from it's point of fire? Any thoughts?
I'm trying to figure out how many blunts you and you'er friend smoke to even think about some carzy shit like that?? :sly:.. You guys must of been high as hell. :lol:

and yes, if you fire it backwards, it will be going 0mph relative to the ground, and just fall down... again, relative to the ground. It's aaalll about relativity. If you ignore air resistance,then firing the gun forwards would have the bullet ravel at 1400 mph before it smacked into the ground. But it'd only be going 1400mph relative to the ground again, from the train, either way you shoot it, it's going 700 mph.