I shot a bullet in the air, where it fell I know not where.

I heard that it was dangerous to shoot a bullet straight up in the air because when it fell it could strike and injure someone. I know from physics class that when you throw an object straight up, it's potential energy increases, the kinectic energy decreases, until the opject reaches it's max hight, then the opposite happens, until the object reaches the same hight from which it was thrown and has the same energy comming down as it did going up. BUT, this discounts air resistance. I just don't believe that a penny droped from an extremely high building will kill someone. I been struck by hail and lived to tell about. So, can the falling bullet hurt someone?

******** 'The highest function of ecology is the understanding of the consequences.' Pardot Kynes, Initial Report to the Imperium DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES (Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson) ********

Sam Heywood

Can a falling projectile hurt someone you ask?? Well it can KILL someone if they are hit in a vital area. If fact this last New Year's some 'square nut' shot a 10mm/.40 up in the air and it came down right into and through the roof of one of our HumVees. Found it just into the seat during a vehicle inspection..

There are numerous incidents about folks getting hit by falling bullets that some idiot fired into the air in 'celebration'....

JPH Dr JP Hrisoulas Metallographer, Lecturer Author: The Complete Bladesmith The Master Bladesmith The Pattern Welded Blade HCI: Dedicated to seeing a woman dead, rather than alive and legally carrying a handgun. COL. NVDoM

#I know from physics class that when you throw an object straight #up, it's potential energy increases, the kinectic energy #decreases, until the opject reaches it's max hight, then the #opposite happens, until the object reaches the same hight from #which it was thrown and has the same energy comming down as it #did going up. BUT, this discounts air resistance. #I just don't believe that a penny droped from an extremely high #building will kill someone. I been struck by hail and lived to #tell about. #So, can the falling bullet hurt someone? #

Duh. .Your physics class should also tell you that you would rather be hit by a hailstone weighing 230gr. rather than a .45 weighing 230 gr. (given that they are traveling at the same rate of acceleration provided by gravity, of course). Also, I've never seen a conical-shaped hailstone.

Maybe this is why archers were so damned effective when they shot at high arcs into oncoming waves of infantry? I dunno, what does your physics class tell you?

I hope you are not trying to set up some experiment that would result in more laws against us. . .

# # I heard that it was dangerous to shoot a bullet straight up in # the air because when it fell it could strike and injure someone. # I know from physics class that when you throw an object straight # up, it's potential energy increases, the kinectic energy # decreases, until the opject reaches it's max hight, then the # opposite happens, until the object reaches the same hight from # which it was thrown and has the same energy comming down as it # did going up. BUT, this discounts air resistance. # I just don't believe that a penny droped from an extremely high # building will kill someone. I been struck by hail and lived to # tell about. # So, can the falling bullet hurt someone? # It won't have its shot velocity, but a small dense object like a bullet will likely have a terminal velocity (as fast as air drag will allow) that could cause a nasty wound, especially if a head impact. Remember, a bullet would be about ten times denser than ice, so its terminal velocity will likely be several times faster. A penny would have a much lower TV than a bullet, so would not likely do much more than raise a welt.

After the first Gulf War people were hit and killed in Kuwait for falling bullets. Now were they shot straight up? You should remember an object will accelerate at 32 feet per second per second, that is fast. If the gun was held on the hip and fired at a 45 degree angle, it could sure as hell kill someone.

> ...

Not trying to be smart, but are you willing to stand there and let one fall on you? I wouldn't prefer to myself.

On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 11:25:49 +0000 (UTC), Irving Drinkwine

> ...

Oh, this topic is back. Fortunately, it is an easy one for recent exterior ballistics programs, and works best on those programs that have more than one ballistics coefficent, for what happens at various bullet speeds.

Set the direction to straight up, select a cartridge type and loading, and start. The bullet will come to a stop around 10,000 feet, and take about 20 seconds to get there. From other data, it will be back around ground level in about 60 seconds. A simple calculation involving 10,000 feet and 40 seconds will give you the average speed. Considering air resistance, the speed was higher at the top end, and lower at that bottom end.

This part, the falling part, is affected by the fact that half the world's air is below 5000 feet, a fact known to any student pilot.

Hurt? Probably. Damage, no. One might note the problems with air rifles in Canada now needing to have a pellet speed of 600 fps or less, so that one of them can never penetrate skin. Speeds higher than that will make a hole. How deep is the hole, and how much damage done is a function of retained energy. Practical data may be obtained from loading charts of the .25 ACP round, which goes 750 fps and has energy of 62 ft-lb, the bare minimum for causing a disabling injury.

But all bets are off it the bullet does not leave very close to straight up. Then, someone might be killed.

Jim

: I heard that it was dangerous to shoot a bullet straight up in : the air because when it fell it could strike and injure someone. : I know from physics class that when you throw an object straight : up, it's potential energy increases, the kinectic energy : decreases, until the opject reaches it's max hight, then the : opposite happens, until the object reaches the same hight from : which it was thrown and has the same energy comming down as it : did going up. BUT, this discounts air resistance. : I just don't believe that a penny droped from an extremely high : building will kill someone. I been struck by hail and lived to : tell about. : So, can the falling bullet hurt someone?

: ID