Bird Brain
Classical Mechanics
Level
2
A man is aiming his sling shot directly at the bird that is on a tree. The weight of the bird is the same as the weight of the rock. At the instant the bird releases his grip on the tree (free fall), the rock is flung. What will happen to the bird?
The rock will go over the bird
This question is rigged
The rock will hit the bird at some point
The rock will go below the bird
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1 solution
Answer: The rock will hit the bird at some point
Assumptions: 1: The slingshot has no initial vertical component, and thus the angle of projection is 0 degrees 2: For a short distance, air resistance is negligible
Explanation: The earths gravitational field has a (close to) constant affect on all objects, regardless of mass. Both the rock and the bird fall at the same time, so both are accelerated towards the earth at the same time. The horizontal component of the rock's velocity has no effect upon the pull of gravity, and thus they hit each other at the same time.