Bullets & Gravity: How High Will It Go?

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When a bullet is fired straight up, its maximum height can be calculated using the formula H=v_0^2/2g, assuming no air resistance. However, in reality, air resistance significantly affects the bullet's trajectory and speed. While it may initially leave the gun at high velocity, it will not return to Earth at the same speed due to terminal velocity limitations. The discussion highlights that accurate modeling of a bullet's flight involves complex ballistics beyond simple equations. Ultimately, air resistance plays a crucial role in determining both the height achieved and the speed upon return.
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If someone fires a bullet straight up into the sky, how high will it go? Will it return to the Earth at the same velocity that it left the gun?
 
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It depends on the air resistance.
If we ignore the air resistance, the height is H=\frac{v_0^2}{2g} and the velocity when it returns the Earth is its initial velocity.
 
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Creative said:
If someone fires a bullet straight up into the sky, how high will it go? Will it return to the Earth at the same velocity that it left the gun?
If you want to study anything but the most simplified approximation, you enter the word of ballistics, and you may never emerge.
 
turbo-1 said:
If you want to study anything but the most simplified approximation, you enter the word of ballistics, and you may never emerge.

:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: Yah if you want any sort of accurate description of the bullet, you'll basically have a good model until the thing leaves the barrel and then its a free-for-all as to what it's going to do.

Yah when you put a small light object into the air at high altitudes, it's going to get pushed around all over the place by the winds. Of course, air resistance will be slowing it down too.
 
Wouldn't the maximum velocity of any smaller caliber bullet be lower, even in a world of theoretically perfect fluid mechanics based to give minimal resistance and maximum aid, than the initial speed caused by the explosion?
 
yeah

it will go up as high as it can it becomes a projectile you can get those equations just by looking up in wikipedia. but it will come down at the same velocity that it went up at.
 
R34p3r said:
it will go up as high as it can it becomes a projectile you can get those equations just by looking up in wikipedia. but it will come down at the same velocity that it went up at.

Well, no it won't. A bullet is launched at a speed greater than the terminal velocity and returns at a speed not exceeding the terminal velocity.
 
Tide said:
Well, no it won't. A bullet is launched at a speed greater than the terminal velocity and returns at a speed not exceeding the terminal velocity.
Without air resistance, what lessenes the speed of the bullet?[/color]
 
phucnv87 said:
Without air resistance, what lessenes the speed of the bullet?[/color]

Nothing, but the scenario described by ZackQuantum to which R34p3r responded includes air resistance. Note the words "minimal resistance" and "theoretically perfect fluid mechanics."
 
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yeah

sorry bout that my bad i meant if there is no air resistance
 
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