Yes.peetee wrote: ↑5 Aug 2021, 8:30amAt first I thought it would fall in a curve running in the direction of the train. The bullet reduces speed as it falls. But then again, you are right because the speed reduction would only occur because of air friction and as it is not pushing against the air there is no friction so it just falls.....unless the air is being dragged by the train, which it will, to a certain extent.....so...Mick F wrote: ↑4 Aug 2021, 4:59pm Chatted about this in physics at school ..................
Stand on the roof of a train and fire a pistol towards the rear.
Train travelling at the muzzle velocity of the pistol.
Theoretical of course.
A person standing on the rail-side would see the bullet fall to the ground vertically.
The question is posed so that the bullet has no horizontal speed relative to the ground. Gravity acts vertically downwards and it falls. And in the real world it would be pushed around by the air moved by the train, and by any wind.
Jonathan