At the instant that you fire a bullet horizontally from a rifle, you drop a bullet from the height of the gun barrel. If there is no air resistance, which bullet hits the level ground first? Explain.

Question

Physics

Branden Tate

13 September, 12:39

At the instant that you fire a bullet horizontally from a rifle, you drop a bullet from the height of the gun barrel. If there is no air resistance, which bullet hits the level ground first? Explain.

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Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Tianna Mckee · Answer 1

Both hit at the same time

Explanation:

If air resistant is ignored, then gravitational acceleration g is the only thing that affect the bullets vertical motion, no matter what their horizontal motion is. Since both bullets are starting from rest, vertically speaking their speeds are 0 initially, they are both subjected to the same acceleration g, then they travel at the same rate and would reach the ground at the same time.