While I believe this issue has resurfaced because my wife earned a speeding ticket yesterday, I can't quite figure out the correlation. 'Sokay; I also can't figure out a satisfactory solution to my math problem. It's bothered me for years, but I've yet to lose sleep worrying about it. As I see little chance of Mythbusters picking this up, I don't know that I'll ever see a scientific solution. Anyway, here 'tis:
I'm on the flatbed of an 18-wheeler. In my right hand is a baseball. Wind resistance is somehow rendered moot. The truck drives due east at precisely 60 MPH. I stand facing the back and throw the baseball due west at precisely 60 MPH.
My theory is the ball will hover in space momentarily, then fall straight down. I see no reason for this to be true. Logically, my mind says I'm independent of the trailer and though I'm careening recklessly down the road, me throwing the ball backwards will send the ball backwards. Even if I only barely lob it the opposite direction.
I realize friction plays a role as well, but for the sake of theoretical science, I'm ignoring it. In real practice, I should be able to drive down a road at the speed limit and toss a tennis ball backwards, with my left hand. If the ball travels AT ALL in the opposite direction of the car, there's no way I threw it over the speed I was driving, so my arm becomes independent of car speed. I'm not sure what that means, though.
If I hold the ball, it travels at the same speed as the car. If I release the ball with no momentum forward or backward (again ignoring friction), it travels as the same speed as the car.
How can I make this sound like an urban legend? Somehow I need to figure out a method where this experiment involves blowing something up. Hmm. If someone can explain this to me or draw me a diagram explaining the reasoning, I'd be indebted.
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Ooh! Ooh! If you are in a special vacuum that allows for big rigs to drive 60 mph with grown men standing on the flatbed and throw a baseball, the ball will fall exactly where it leaves your hand! (At least, that's what Eric and I figure.)
ReplyDeleteOf course, if you do find that special vacuum, there may be a whole new set of physical laws that come into play resigning all answers to the same place the even problems in the textbook go.
See, and that's why I attended art college. (So I can poorly render a stick figure holding a ball and what could possibly be a truck if the page is held at just the right angle.)
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