The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

If you fire a subsonic (approx 880ft/s) bullet parralel to axis of earths rotation from somewhere in the UK in the opposite direction that the earth is spinning. Is the bullet actually moving forward or is it merely falling down...

Moving forward at 880fps.

Relative to which frame of reference?

In relation to the ground, or in relation to a point in space?

Why did she leave you ? Go easy on the booze matey ...

zanes wrote:Relative to which frame of reference?

Therein lies the rub

If you fire the bullet parallel to the axis of the Earth’s rotation then you are firing it either due north or south.

Only if you are firing it at right angles to the axis of the Earth’s rotation can you fire it in the opposite direction to which the Earth is spinning, when you will be firing it pointing due west.

The bullet will immediately begin to fall toward the ground under the force of gravity at an acceleration of 32 feet per second per second, and its velocity will reduce due to friction with the air.

There will be an acceleration to the left (in the northern hemisphere) due to Coriolis effect, but it is very small, of some significance with long range artillery shells, but negligible for rifle bullets.

Which is why time travel is unfeasible, you'd only be able to travel to a point in time where you could land in the exact same location adn there's the possibility that you'd be stationary. Thud

Every bullet starts to fall down the instant it leaves the barrel - some just go further than others!

I believe Einstein's special theory of relativity applies and that it's all relative to the observer. At least that's what I say when I throw the last shot on my card miles off for no apparent reason