Is Inertia the Key to Explaining Bullet Trajectory?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between inertia, angular momentum, and bullet trajectory. It establishes that while inertia does not prevent a bullet from falling to the ground, angular momentum, particularly from rifled barrels, enhances accuracy by stabilizing the bullet's flight. The transition from smoothbore to rifled muskets during the US Civil War significantly improved shooting precision, demonstrating the impact of these physical principles on historical military tactics. Ultimately, the bullet's fall rate remains constant regardless of its horizontal motion.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of physics concepts such as inertia and angular momentum
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of rifled barrels in firearms
  • Knowledge of historical military tactics during the US Civil War
  • Awareness of Einstein's theory of relativity and Minkowski's contributions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of inertia and its effects on projectile motion
  • Study the mechanics of angular momentum in relation to firearms
  • Explore the historical evolution of military tactics influenced by advancements in weaponry
  • Learn about the implications of Einstein's relativity on modern physics
USEFUL FOR

Physics enthusiasts, historians studying military technology, and anyone interested in the mechanics of projectile motion and its historical context.

danihel
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Hello ppl I am very interested in knowing how the world works but i did not study physics and I am mentally and especially mathematically challenged so please forgive me my silly question:
as the angular momentum prevents gyroscope from falling on the side does inertia prevent a bullet(when shot in parallel with the surface) to fall on the ground as quickly as it would if it were just dropped? Is angular momentum and inertia fundamentally the same?
 
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Asking such a question proves you are NOT mentally challanged...and everybody is mathematically challanged in varying degrees. Some of the greatest scientific discoveries were not fully understood until others got a chance to interpret and improve the early attempts. Following Einsteins relativity, for example, it was Minkowski who procalimed the four dimensional spacetime continuum...and Einstein adopted it...


I don't know the exact principles involved but at about the time of the US civil war muskets got upgraded from smooth to "rifle" bore...meaning rotational grooves were made within the rifle barrel to twist/rotate the shot as it passed...the rotational motion (angular momentum) made the shot far more accurate ...I suspect momentum was increased...and had the generals involved been a bit smarter, they would have changed tactics.

The old "line up the men" and fire at the lined up enemy was due in large part to how inaccurate smooth bore muskets previously were...hence the losses in battles with improved weaponry was catastrophically large.
 
danihel said:
does inertia prevent a bullet(when shot in parallel with the surface) to fall on the ground as quickly as it would if it were just dropped?
A bullet does fall to the ground just as quickly as if it were just dropped.
 

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