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Can anybody please explain why the ball dropped from a moving train appears to take a parabolic path w.r.t the frame of reference of a person standing at the platform?
Thanks
Thanks
Can anybody please explain why the ball dropped from a moving train appears to take a parabolic path w.r.t the frame of reference of a person standing at the platform?
Thanks
In the reference frame of the platform the ball has initial horizontal velocity equal to the velocity of the train. The vertical direction is the same observed on the train because both observers agree that gravity is acting on the ball causing an acceleration -g. But, in the platform's reference frame it already had x-velocity, and the resultant path is a parabola.