If I were to throw a ball down a moving railway carriage is it going forwards,backwards, or staying still?
Answers:
That depends upon the force with which you throw the ball
IF the carraige is going backwards the ball is going backwards and vice versa
forward but more slow than the train's speed. That's why it appears to stop or, if want, backwards.
The ball is travelling at the velocity of the train. So if the train is travelling 60mph, and you throw the ball at 20mph forward, the ball is moving forward at 80mph relative to the ground outside the train. Conversely, if you throw the ball backwards at 20 mph, it is moving 40mph relative to the ground outside. However the actual velocity of the ball will always be 20 mph relative to the floor of the moving train.
if thrown in same direction as that of train it's velocity will be sum of train's speed and it's own speed relative to ground
if thrown in opposite direction to that of train it's velocity will be difference of train's speed and it's own speed relative to ground
It makes no difference if the train is moving or standing still the ball will always be going forwards.
Relative to what? Even if you were sitting still on top of a hill holding the ball it would be moving in many directions. along with the rotation of the earth, the orbit of the earth around the sun, the orbit of the sun along the periphery of the galaxy, and along the trajectory of the galaxy within the universe..
have fun plotting that..
Here we go again - same old questions so same old answer: It's all to do with relativity. The ball goes at one speed relative to the train but at a much faster speed relative to the ground. I think Prof Einstein had a hand in it a few years ago.
it would roll backwards!!
Probably forwards because the train will be travelling faster than you can throw
you should sum the following vectors to define the absolute velocity vector of the ball:
the velocity vector of the ball relative to you
the velocity vector of the train relative to earth
the velocity vector of the earth rotation
the velocity vector of the earth around the sun
the velocity vector of the sun around the center of the milky way
The velocity vector of the milky way relative to the universe.
did I forget something?, I don't think so
einstein was famous for talking about static trains and moving platforms in which case the ball is static and the train is late, again
The ball goes the way you throw it. Imagine if you jumped down the aisle of the carriage. Would you stay still? or would you have moved? just because the train is moving, it doesn't mean that the ball doesn't move
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