Throw Snowball from Car for Maximum Force: Physics Explained

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the physics of throwing a snowball from a moving car and the implications for the force with which it strikes a target. Participants explore concepts related to motion, force, and Newton's laws, while considering various scenarios and interpretations of the initial question.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that both the person and the snowball accelerate with the car, suggesting that the snowball retains the car's speed when thrown.
  • Another participant compares the scenario to jumping out of a moving car, implying that the same principles of motion apply and can lead to injury if not understood.
  • A participant emphasizes that the speed at which the snowball hits the target depends on the force and angle of the throw, presenting examples that illustrate different outcomes based on these variables.
  • There is a mention of Newton's First Law of Motion as a foundational principle relevant to the discussion, although its application is debated among participants.
  • Concerns are raised about the clarity of the initial problem statement, with one participant suggesting that a more precise formulation would better convey the intended physics concepts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of throwing the snowball from a moving car, with no consensus reached on the best interpretation of the physics involved. Some agree on the basic principles of motion, while others challenge the assumptions and clarity of the initial scenario.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the problem statement, particularly regarding the conditions of the throw and the resulting velocities. The discussion reflects varying interpretations of how these factors influence the outcome.

Orion7
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Hi there.

Hopefully I'm posting this in the correct place. I took a look at the guidelines and decided not to post in the general physics forum as this question does seem homework-like, though it's not exactly homework. Just a general physics question if that's alright. If this is the incorrect place to post this question then please tell me so I'll know not to do so in the future.

My physics teacher mentioned that if you wanted to throw a snowball at someone in order to hit them with as much force as possible (he said this jokingly and told us not to actually try it out) that you could get inside of a car and throw a snowball out towards your target (such as a person or whatever it may be) as the speed at which the snowball traveled would be equal to the speed at which the car was also traveling.

For example: I'm inside of a car traveling 50 km/h, and I decide to throw a snowball out of that car towards a tree. The snowball would also be traveling at 50 km/h, and thus it would hit the tree with force proportional to the speed it was traveling at.

Now our physics teacher didn't explain why this would happen, and I searched on Google for possible answers, but to no avail.

Could anyone explain the physics behind this? I find the idea interesting and it's been on my mind for the past few days.

Thanks.
 
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Huh. Looks like it was moved to general physics anyways.
 
Both you and the snowball accelerated with the car relative to the tree. So when you toss the snowball out the window, it is still going at 50 km/h.
 
For the same reason that if you jump out of a moving car you get hurt. If it weren't like that. You could jump out of cars and nothing would happen to you.
 
Orion7 said:
For example: I'm inside of a car traveling 50 km/h, and I decide to throw a snowball out of that car towards a tree. The snowball would also be traveling at 50 km/h, and thus it would hit the tree with force proportional to the speed it was traveling at.

Now our physics teacher didn't explain why this would happen, and I searched on Google for possible answers, but to no avail.

Could anyone explain the physics behind this? I find the idea interesting and it's been on my mind for the past few days.

Thanks.
If you want the physics explanation, it's Newton's First Law of Motion:

"An object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_laws_of_motion
 
The speed with which the snowball hits the tree depends on the force and angle towards the tree with which you throw it. For example, your very poorly stated problem does not prohibit a solution where the throw the snowball out of the car at 51mph back towards the tree after you have passed it and it hits the tree at 1mph. OR, you could throw the snowball out of the car at 10mph directly towards an oncoming tree and hit the tree at 60 mph.

A proper statement (that I think your prof was making) is that you toss the snowball out of the car with zero forward velocity relative to the car but outwards towards the tree.

It's common to use that kind of poorly stated problem to demonstrate the basics but the fact that it is common does not make it a good idea.
 
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