Size of Bullet Hole: Comparing 0.000001c & .9c

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The discussion centers on the comparison of bullet holes created by two bullets traveling at different speeds: 0.000001c and 0.9c. Participants concluded that the size of the bullet holes would be the same, as length contraction only affects dimensions along the direction of motion. The conversation also touched on the implications of general relativity versus special relativity, clarifying that the scenario assumes a flat spacetime where Lorentz transformations apply. Ultimately, the consensus is that the speed of the bullets does not alter the diameter of the holes in the tin foil target.

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sqljunkey
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If I had two bullets one moving 0.000001 c and the other moving at .9 c for example, and they both went thru a tin foil square target, assuming they are traveling in vacuum, and that the tin foil square target will make a perfect aperture around the radius of the passing bullet, assuming the bullet is cylindrical in shape, which bullet hole would be the bigger one?

Here I'm assuming there are only two objects (with masses) in the spacetime, and I'm assuming that the principles of general relativity apply.
 
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sqljunkey said:
If I had two bullets one moving 0.000001 c and the other moving at .9 c for example, and they both went thru a tin foil square target, assuming they are traveling in vacuum, and that the tin foil square target will make a perfect aperture around the radius of the passing bullet, assuming the bullet is cylindrical in shape, which bullet hole would be the bigger one?

Here I'm assuming there are only two objects (with masses) in the spacetime, and I'm assuming that the principles of general relativity apply.
The holes would be the same size.
 
sqljunkey said:
If I had two bullets...
Are you trying to ask whether the diameter of the bullet changes? If so, the answer is no. Length contraction is along the direction of movement.
 
As long as the bullets are traveling perpendicular to the target, the holes should be the same size.
 
pervect said:
As long as the bullets are traveling perpendicular to the target,
Good point, but is this restriction the correct one? Isn't the requirement that the target have no component of velocity perpendicular to that of the bullet? If that is not the case then the bullet hole would be elongated slightly due to the lateral motion - and this would depend on the length of the bullet in the rest frame of the foil.

Or am I misreading you?
 
He says GR, not SR. As such, I have no idea what he's getting at.
 
sqljunkey said:
I'm assuming there are only two objects (with masses) in the spacetime, and I'm assuming that the principles of general relativity apply.

If you are trying to actually model this scenario as the bullet and the foil having enough stress-energy to curve spacetime, sorry, that's way beyond what we can do here. You need a supercomputer and a lot of time.

If you really meant special relativity, i.e., you are fine with spacetime being flat and you are just asking what the Lorentz transformation says about your question, you already have been given the answer in this thread.

In either case, it is time to close this thread.
 

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