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If you fired a gun in space would you accelerate in the opposite direction at the same speed as the bullet?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
No. Assuming you have a gun that can fire in space, you would travel in the opposite direction, conserving momentum, but because you are more massive than the bullet, your speed in the opposite direction would be less. Momentum is mass*velocity, so your speed should be less than the bullet's by the same factor as the ratio of the bullet's mass to your own. You would also start rotating unless your shot was perfectly aligned with your center of mass.
If that's not convincing, consider what happens if you shoot a bullet straight into the air. Does the earth move in the opposite direction at the same speed?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Which law of newton is applicable toa bullet being fired from a gun and the gun recoiling?
Third law: When a first body exerts a force F1 on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force F2 = −F1 on the first body. This means that F1 and F2 are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
What will hit the ground first the bullet shot horizontally or the one dropped?
In theory, if a bullet dropped vertically at the same instant that a bullet is fired horizontally from a gun at the same height, they should both hit the ground at the same time.This example is used to emphasize that that horizontal motion and vertical motion may be analysed separately since they occur independently of each other.This is one of those things that works better in theory than in practice.There is a caveat that is important if you consider doing this in the real world. The process is not happening in a vacuum. The aerodynamics of the bullet fired at high speed is tremendously important. In early gun design, this was not understood and bullets fired from guns were very inaccurate and went up or down or right or left in unpredictable ways. Modern guns stabilize the trajectory by putting a spin on the bullet. The result makes the bullet act like a gyroscope and then to remain pointed forward when it encounters small anomalies in the air and wind. So, the moving bullet is subjected to vertical forces and can not be expected to drop at the same rate as a bullet with no horizontal motion.The principle of independent horizontal and vertical motion works better when illustrated by throwing and dropping heavy rocks. The principle is entirely correct, but there are more vertical forces involved than gravity with the bullets.
Why does the gun recoils and puch the person back when fired?
When a gun is fired a bullet (or cartridge) with a small mass but a very high velocity is ejected. The recoil of the gun is a reaction to this force and is sufficient to push back the person who fired the weapon.
Why does a cannon recoil when fired?
"For every action, there is an equal and oposite reaction." The cannonball is pushed out of the barrel at high speed. This pushes the cannon in the opposite direction. That is recoil. The heavier the cannonball, and the faster it is pushed, the more the cannon recoils.
What is an example of newton third law?
-- When you push on a brick wall with a force of 50 pounds, the brick wall pushes back on you with a force of 50 pounds. That way, the forces on the palm of your hand are balanced, and your hand doesn't accelerate. -- When you stand on the ground with a force of 185 pounds, the ground pushes back on the bottom of your shoes with a force of 185 pounds. That way, the forces on the soles of your shoes are balanced, and your feet don't accelerate.
Which is greater the momentum of a bullet fired from a rifle or the momentum of the rifle's recoil?
Both are equal in magnitude but in opposite direction
Which wave is formed when a bullet fired from a gun?
=it is newtons third law of motion which states=="for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"==when a gun is fired the bullet moves in the forward direction which is action whereas the gun recoils in the backward direction which is the reaction......................=
How are Newton's laws applied when a bullet is fired from a gun which recoils?
The law that says every action has an equal and oppsite reaction: the momentum of the bullet is balanced by the equal momentum of the gun (and shooter) in the opposite direction - the recoil.
If you are traveling at the speed of a bullet and then fired a bullet in the opposite direction what happens?
1). Your speed in the forward direction should increase somewhat, since the recoil of the shot adds to your momentum. 2). The bullet you fire in the reverse direction leaves the muzzle with full muzzle velocity and momentum in the reverse direction ... in your frame of reference. Viewed by an observer in the stationary frame of reference ... the one in which you are moving at the speed of a bullet ... the one you fire just dribbles out of the muzzle and falls straight to the ground.
When a bullet is fired from a rifle does the bullet have a greater momentum and kinetic energy than the rifle?
The momenta of the rifle and the bullet are equal and opposite. The bullet has greater kinetic energy than the rifle.
Why does a gun jerk when you fire a bullet?
When a bullet is fired from a gun, it creates a sudden release of gases that exert a force on the gun's barrel and action system. This force, known as recoil, causes the gun to jerk backward in the opposite direction of the bullet's motion. The jerk is a result of Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Bullet flying through the air find the magnitude of acceleration?
Bullets fired from a gun don't accelerate, the decelerate from the moment they leave the barrel.
How many shot were there in Kennedy?
Two of Oswald's three shots hit Kennedy. No bullet from any other direction hit him; no bullet from any other direction is known and proven to have even been fired.
Why does your hand jerks when you shot a bullet?
Because of the recoil of the weapon. Equal and opposite reaction to the ejection of the projectile fired.
Which has more momentum a train at rest or a bullet fired from a gun?
A bullet fired from a gun
When a bullet is fired upwards vertically it gains?
When a bullet is fired upwards vertically it gains kinetic energy.
How does ballistics help police solve crimes?
Rifling marks, the marks etched into a bullet as it travels through a gun's barrel, are to a gun as fingerprints are to a person. To see if a fired round came from a particular gun, the gun is test fired into a pool of water (to stop the bullet without changing its shape) then the marks on the test fired bullet and the bullet in question are compared. Knowing the trajectory of a bullet points you in the direction of its origination. There are also some clues that will help you determine from how far a shot was fired, such as approximate speed on impact and the presence of burnt gunpowder.
