Simon wrote:
> "Simon" <shepshep1@excite.com> wrote in message 
> news:oroMe.10865$JB4.9211@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...
> 
>>"Jean-Marc Desperrier" <jmdesp@alussinan.org> wrote in message 
>>news:ddst3j$lfa$1@reader1.imaginet.fr...
>>
>>>another fool wrote:
>>>
>>>>declan_murphy@hotmail.com wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>John W. wrote:
>>>>>Wonder where the shotgun pellets eventually fell, and at what velocity?
>>>>
>>>>Having been peppered with shotgun pellets more then a few times while
>>>>dove/duck hunting once they start back down they don't have the weight
>>>>to gain enough velocity to hurt anything.  It feels like being hit by
>>>>blowing sand.
>>>
>>>Shotgun pellets, yes. Falling bullets can and will kill or disable.
>>>
>>>I really wondered when seeing the image of Arraft's burial how many 
>>>people would be wounded by that. The place was so crowded every falling 
>>>bullet would become a hazard, and they were firing everywhere.
>>
>>How much does a bullet weigh? a bullet shot strait up vertically will 
>>loose all of its speed before it starts to fall back to earth. The bullet 
>>only has gravity to accelerate it, I've read that the terminal velocity of 
>>a falling bullet would be around 200 mph. Would a 200 mph bullet kill you?
>>
> 
> This page seems to have the answer.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/homework/s95523.htm 
> 
> 
sorry, but this is...hmm...i wonder if he really does not know it, or he 
is trying to explain it using simpler terms and because of that he says 
something wrong....

"
The suck of gravity is not as powerful as the explosive gases that push 
it out of the barrel. So it will accelerate to a maximum speed of not 
3,000 kilometres per hour, but somewhere between 330 and 770 kilometres 
per hour - depending upon the weight and shape of the bullet.
"

?!?!?!?!?

what's he talking about?

yes, the explosive gases maybe represent a greater force, but they stop 
affecting the bullet after it left the gun. on the other hand, the 
gravity affects the bullet the whole time.

and since when does the weight of an item affect the speed of it's fall?

to keep this simple:
let's ignore the air resistance for a while.
if you shoot something up vertically, it will come down with EXACTLY the 
SAME speed as it was shot upwards.
but of course you cannot ignore the air resistance, and it will affect 
the whole equation. so the end results he gives can be correct.

but not the bullshit about which force is greater...


p.s: hmmm...i still have the feeling that maybe i'm wrong..after all 
this karl guy is a dr. and i studied computer science not physics.. but 
still, this should be like i wrote. if not, pliz correct me ;)

gabor