On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 8:12 PM, Daniel Rodriguez <[email protected]> wrote:
> Same rules apply even if we were doing 1, 2, 60, 100 + mph.
If I throw a crumpled up ball of paper out the window at 1 MPH, it
will travel more-or-less in the direction I throw it (relative to me,
in the car). If I angle it forward, the paper will end up in front of
the car at least briefly.
If I throw a crumpled up ball of paper out the window at 60 MPH, the
paper will never clear the front edge of the window frame, let alone
the front of the car. It gets "sucked backwards". I assume it's not
actual suction, but just due to relative speed of car vs stationary
air.
Perhaps apples behave differently because they catch less wind?
> Now, let's say I'm standing on the side of the road when you drive by. When
> I see you throw the apple out does it go past me or does it go the opposite
> direction?
For the sake of discussion, let's ignore air resistance entirely
here, for a moment: Throw the apple out the window, perpendicular to
the direction of travel; car maintains speed. The stationary observer
will see the apple travel away from the car, perpendicular to the axis
of motion, at a steady rate, proportional to the effort of throw. The
apple will also continue moving along the direction of travel of the
car, at the same speed as the car ("with the car"). The apple will
also accelerate downward at 9.8 meters per second per second. All
will continue until the apple hits the ground.
It's the effect of air resistance I'm not sure on. Not only will
the apple interact with the air as it travels through it, the car's
movement through air does "funny things" with the air in the immediate
vicinity of the car.
-- Ben
~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
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