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Originally Posted by Ricochet
If you're in some jet car going 1200fps forwards and you shoot a 1200fps bullet backwards, would the bullet just drop straight down from an observer's view? Let's say there's no other force acting on the bullet besides gravity after it gets fired.
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In all these types of "stepping off the plane when it crashes" questions, the first thing to consider is "the frame of reference". In this case, the frame of reference is the person holding the gun and the end of the barrel of the gun. The person holding the gun is stationary. It will leave the barrel at 1800fps.
As reasonable as it may sound that the bullet will exit the gun and "come to a dead stop", this is impossible with no other forces acting on it. If you happen to aim accurately at someone behind you while you travel at this speed. They will be shot....and shocked..... that you are that steady at that speed.
Our Earth is turning at an incredible speed, and basically turning in the direction of west toward east. Does the bullet go slower when we aim toward the east?
But that brings up another question. If the earth spins basically from west toward the east, why do storm systems and clouds basically travel from west toward east? Looks like the earth would spin and the clouds would be stationary above the earth, and appear to travel from east toward west.
I need beer.