Physics brainteaser

[JulesMaximus]

It should just drop to the ground.

 

[edro]

Yes! My instincts (and memory of physics) were correct.

 

[Gibsons]

60 MPH relative to what? :awe:

This!

 

[Joseph F]

This is dumb shit. Of course it will drop straight down. (in a vacuum)

 

[DrPizza]

I just figured out my answer for "how do we figure out which 50% of the people to tell the aliens to zap."

 

[Sixguns]

Hit the train behind?

 

[SKORPI0]

Ball drops to the ground with no horizontal motion.

 

[BurnItDwn]

In a vacuum, with no pressure changes due to the train pushing the air I assume? Does this imagination-land magicly have no Gravity too? And are we to assume the temperatures are uniform?

the middle school physics answer is that the ball will fall to the ground, the high school physics answer is that the ball will mostly fall to the ground, but there will be slow motion towards the train due to pressure/wind.
The college physics answer would take a lot more explaining, but eventually result in the same conclusion as the high school physics answer.

 

[MotF Bane]

I just figured out my answer for "how do we figure out which 50% of the people to tell the aliens to zap."

If you used this question as a benchmark for it, I suspect it'll be a lot more than 50%.

 

[Lanyap]

Here's a better physics brain teaser: in the video I linked, why is the driver wearing a helmet, and the guy riding in the back of the truck isn't?

Because a vector vortex would be created if the guy in the back wore a helmet and it would skew the test results.

 

[DesiPower]

Another brain teaser, did OP die after posting the question? if not, when will he answer?

 

[tboo]

You should ask the Mythbusters since they already covered it.

This

 

[Pheran]

I just figured out my answer for "how do we figure out which 50% of the people to tell the aliens to zap."

:awe:

 

[JTsyo]

Another brain teaser, did OP die after posting the question? if not, when will he answer?

Figured the answer was now known. From the person standing at the station, he will see the ball just fall. The person who threw the ball will see it fly in a parabola as usual.

I posted this since it seemed pretty counterintuitive, even though that's what the equations say. I think part of the reason is that we never see such examples in real life.

 

[DesiPower]

ya, I guess we all new the answer, but its still OP's responsibility to come back and confirm

 

[darkxshade]

the ball takes off

 

[Jeff7]

I just figured out my answer for "how do we figure out which 50% of the people to tell the aliens to zap."

Their bodies shall be shot out of a cannon that is moving at 60mph, with a muzzle velocity of 60mph, with their next of kin there to see what they died for.

 

[MotF Bane]

Their bodies shall be shot out of a cannon that is moving at 60mph, with a muzzle velocity of 60mph, with their next of kin there to see what they died for.

In what directions?