What is the furthest you can throw something?

[AtomicJoe]

Nice simple question.

 

[DaveC426913]

Too simple.

Who? Me? Anyone?
Realistically? In principle? According to physics?
What? A cotton ball? A hand grenade? A fishing trawler?

 

[KingNothing]

If you throw it perpendicular to the Earth's surface, if you throw it at escape velocity, it will keep going forever.

If you throw something horizontally with enough force, it will eventually go into orbit and continue "falling" forever.

Personally, my best dwarf toss was around 15 feet.

 

[DaveC426913]

If you throw it perpendicular to the Earth's surface, if you throw it at escape velocity, it will keep going forever.

If you throw something horizontally with enough force, it will eventually go into orbit and continue "falling" forever.

Personally, my best dwarf toss was around 15 feet.

Excellent responses!

Reminds of a similar question:
Q: In good weather what is the farthest one can see?
A: 2 million light years.

 

[Pengwuino]

Depends on whether or not something is in the way.

 

[AtomicJoe]

If you throw it perpendicular to the Earth's surface, if you throw it at escape velocity, it will keep going forever.

If you throw something horizontally with enough force, it will eventually go into orbit and continue "falling" forever.

Personally, my best dwarf toss was around 15 feet.

Clearly you cannot throw something into orbit, that is proven by the fact it has never been done, so it is fairly reasonable to say that is impossible.

 

[DaveC426913]

Clearly you cannot throw something into orbit, that is proven by the fact it has never been done, so it is fairly reasonable to say that is impossible.

So, you agree your question needs clarification.

(BTW, something having never been done is definitely not proof that it can't be done.)

 

[AtomicJoe]

Too simple.

Who? Me? Anyone?
Realistically? In principle? According to physics?
What? A cotton ball? A hand grenade? A fishing trawler?

Well the question is as stated.
You can throw what you like, it is your choice, be it a hand grenade or a battleship.

 

[AtomicJoe]

Depends on whether or not something is in the way.

Assume you are throwing it on earth, if you want to throw it into a brick wall or a mountain side that's your problem, I doubt will win many throwing competitions!

 

[DaveC426913]

Well the question is as stated.
You can throw what you like, it is your choice, be it a hand grenade or a battleship.

This is one of those 'discuss amongst yourselves for my amusement' questions.

I don't want to play.

Your question is poorly formed.

 

[AtomicJoe]

So, you agree your question needs clarification.

(BTW, something having never been done is definitely not proof that it can't be done.)

I don't necessarily agree as I am unsure of the answer myself, so no I can't say I agree, I think the question is clear enough.

 

[AtomicJoe]

This is one of those 'discuss amongst yourselves for my amusement' questions.

I don't want to play.

Your question is poorly formed.

It is a serious question, it may bring some amusement, nothing wrong with that!

You don't have to play I am sure you can find easier questions.

If you get stuck I will try to help.

 

[AtomicJoe]

Depends on whether or not something is in the way.

You can assume nothing is in the way, apart from the atmosphere.

 

[Curl]

Nice simple question.

I threw a rock about 60-70 meters.

 

[AtomicJoe]

I threw a rock about 60-70 meters.

I don't think that is going to be the winning answer.

Nice try nonetheless.

 

[DaveC426913]

I don't think that is going to be the winning answer.

It does answer your question.

You asked what the farthest Curl can throw something. That sounds like a plausible answer.

Since you are happy to leave the question without further definition, then the first answer that meets the criteria is your answer.

 

[AtomicJoe]

It does answer your question.

You asked what the farthest Curl can throw something. That sounds like a plausible answer.

I didn't refer to Curl specifically, the 'you' refers 'any person'.

Example "What is the biggest number you can divide by 10 exactly?".

 

[DaveC426913]

I didn't refer to Curl specifically, the 'you' refers 'any person'.

And any person answered. Question answered.

 

[AtomicJoe]

And any person answered. Question answered.

Question was misunderstood apparently.

 

[rcgldr]

USA type football record, 306 feet <=> 93.2 meters.

USA type baseball record 445 feet <=> 135.6 meters

Aerobie flying ring world record 1,333 feet <=> 406.3 meters

 

[DaveC426913]

Question was misunderstood apparently.

Nope. Question was poorly formed. i.e. ambiguous.

Request for disambiguation netted an answer which is essentially 'you are free to come up with your own interpretation of the question'.

 

[AtomicJoe]

Nope. Question was poorly formed. i.e. ambiguous.

Request for disambiguation netted an answer which is essentially 'you are free to come up with your own interpretation of the question'.

Well if you look at it like that the answer with the longest distance wins.
Thus the answer for Curl is unlikely to 'win'.

Others are welcome to give their own answers.

 

[AtomicJoe]

USA type football record, 306 feet <=> 93.2 meters.

USA type baseball record 445 feet <=> 135.6 meters

Aerobie flying ring world record 1,333 feet <=> 406.3 meters

Is that the record for a human throw?

I am not sure the last one counts as a throw as such as it seems it received energy after the release.

You are not restricted to energy provided by a human body, but an answer for just that type of throw would be interesting.

 

[Oldfart]

If you throw something horizontally with enough force, it will eventually go into orbit and continue "falling" forever.

Last I heard, you can't throw (or fire from a gun) something into orbit. It either goes on forever, or falls back to Earth. You need a second burn to inject it into orbit after the intiial toss.

 

[AtomicJoe]

Last I heard, you can't throw (or fire from a gun) something into orbit. It either goes on forever, or falls back to Earth. You need a second burn to inject it into orbit after the intiial toss.

Well that is kind of what I am getting at.
I mean if it was possible to fire something into orbit then it seems fair to say that if it could be done it would have been done many many years ago.

After all it is a simpler principle than a rocket.

Actually I may have misread your answer, you seem to be saying you can fire something
outside the grasp of the Earth's gravity?

If so do you have any evidence to support that view, ie has it ever been done?

And if no why not?

 

[DaveC426913]

Well if you look at it like that the answer with the longest distance wins.

Thank you. That could be considered a disambiguation.


Only took 22 posts...

 

[AtomicJoe]

Thank you. That could be considered a disambiguation.Only took 22 posts...

There is no requirement to have a single answer.Anyway now the question is to your satisfaction perhaps you colud have a shot at answering it?

 

[DaveC426913]

Anyway now the question is to your satisfaction perhaps you colud have a shot at answering it?

I might be able to throw a baseball about 25 yards.

 

[AtomicJoe]

I might be able to throw a baseball about 25 yards.

OK so what do you think is the furthest anyone could manage, using any 'throwing' (or fireing) method on earth?

 

[AtomicJoe]

Sometimes it is easier to question the question than answer it!

 

[Curl]

Rail gun firing depleted uranium.

11km or so I think is how far they launch the projectile, not sure though. Google it.

 

[AtomicJoe]

Rail gun firing depleted uranium.

11km or so I think is how far they launch the projectile, not sure though. Google it.

Thanks for that, I was thinking about it my self and could see problems with a 'fired' projection as in a cannon or shot gun. There must also be an answer of an 'explosive' fired projectile too.



Also I think there must be some sort of optimum size for the projectile in a rail gun, just off the top of my head it would see the heavier the better although I do not know if the sheer size would become a problem.

Also I am not 100% sure how a rail gun works, so I guess I had better google it!

 

[flemmyd]

This guy claimed he could throw a potato 100 yards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Zabransky

unfortunately, the article wikipedia cites seems to be down.

 

[AtomicJoe]

20 km/s has been achieved with small projectiles explosively injected into the railgun. Although these speeds are possible theoretically, the heat generated from the propulsion of the object is enough to erode the rails rapidly. Such a railgun would require frequent replacement of the rails, or to use a heat resistant material that would be conductive enough to produce the same effect.

So there may be some physical limits on such a gun.

 

[DaveC426913]

OK so what do you think is the furthest anyone could manage, using any 'throwing' (or fireing) method on earth?

Wait. That's a completely different question.

There have been experiments done to see of guns can be used to fire projectiles into orbit.