If a rilfe shoot a bullet in up in the air can the bullet come down and hurt some one?

Answer 1

Mythbusters aside (and their possibly faulty analysis), most firearms and even artillery (except those shot at "point blank" range) ARE shot "up" into the air. This is the mathematical field of ballistics and projectiles.

You are only quibbling about angles. Usually the weapon is fired only slightly "up" at a very small angle to pure horizontal. I do not believe that anyone would doubt the in such a case that the bullet can kill (not just hurt) someone.

At the limit of 90 degrees to horizontal (purely vertical) the projectile would slowly decelerate until at its maximum height, its velocity would be zero. Gravity would then accelerate the projectile (through the air) and it would travel faster as it approached its original location. Theoretically, the impact velocity would be equal to its initial velocity.

Practically, the resistance of the air would slow the projectile. Lighter and less dense projectiles would be effected more than heavier and more dense projectiles.

A .22 cal soft lead bullet might be slowed down by atmospheric friction enough so as to do minimum damage (it would cause pain). An artillery shell made of depleted Uranium would still be deadly.

To answer your question as specifically as possible, the results of this experiment would depend upon the angle of the shot and the mass and composition of the bullet.

One quick note about the mythbusters experiment: If the "target human" was looking up and got hit in the eye, he would probably die.

Answer 2

certain. in spite of the undeniable fact that it's not going to kill each person even if it really is shot vertically. It easily relies upon on the mass of the projectile. The heavier the bullet the added sturdy the effect. yet, the effect will in basic terms be from the autumn from in spite of the undeniable fact that intense it went. on the accurate of the vertical ballistic direction, the bullet will momentarily provide up and then initiate to fall in basic terms as in case you've been on a ladder and held it and then dropped it. the difficulty is, this is going to attain terminal speed the position air friction will not enable it advance speed. Terminal speed is about one hundred twenty miles in accordance to hour. The bullet will tumble contained in the autumn. Mythbusters tried this, with countless high quality of bullets. The heaviest did not have adequate of an effect to kill each person, in spite of the undeniable fact that it would want to leave a mark and harm as they say. the secret's the bullet in basic terms falls. The capacity it had even as it left the barrel develop into thoroughly dissipated combating gravity, or perhaps as that develop into all lengthy previous, the bullet stopped growing and began to fall. This easily relies upon on the attitude being ninety stages, so the bullet takes a thoroughly vertical direction up and then down. If the trajectory is an attitude, say 40 5 stages. the bullet follows an arc, a parabola, or perhaps as it comes down, it may hit with adequate capacity to kill. The closer the bullet direction is to point with the floor, the a lot less capacity is lost to gravity and the added capacity is retained. So, if not vertical, searching on the attitude with the floor, it may preserve adequate capacity to kill.

Answer 3

Yes it can. However it depends on the caliber (size) of the bullet and the type of metal it's made with. Some small calibers with some type of light metals (not lead) will melt in the sky because it's going at a very high speed, but this usually happens in high altitudes (high concentration of Oxygen) so in contact with the air it erodes slowly and disappears. But this is very rare. In most cases, the bullet will come back down and may hit a person with the same chances that a lightning can hit a person (very slim chance).
Last Memorial Day (this year) a teenager got shot that way here in my town. So the police called to see who did it, so the person who was firing the weapon was honest enough to go to the police and admit it, so they charged him with murder but reduced the charges to a very min for his honesty.
I hope this helps :)

Answer 4

Yes it can. If I remember my physics correctly, the bullet should travel in an arc. As the bullet rises it's velocity decreases and at the top of the arc it's velocity becomes zero (for a fraction of a second) and then it begins to fall. By time it reaches the ground it should be travelling at the same velocity at which it left the rifle...assuming no air resistance or person / bird / airplane etc. gets in the way of course.

Answer 5

Of course! It's not going to magically disappear on the way up! If it retains any kind of ballistic track at all, it will come down with sufficient energy to pierce the skull. Even if it tumbles down, it would hurt a lot! This is a very dangerous New Year's and 4th of July practice. And those idiots with turbans that shoot upward in celebration are just asking for trouble! If they weren't surrounded by miles of sand, they would have accidentally killed some of their own by now.

Answer 6

It depends on the angle the bullet was fired.

If the bullet is fired straight up, then it will not be lethal. In fact, it will be like a pellet gun, regardless of its caliber.

If, however, the bullet has any sort of angle other than straight up, it will retain it's ballistic properties and when it comes down then it will still retain enough force to be lethal.

Answer 7

If the bullet goes totally straight then when it comes down it might not feel great but won't hurt you...HOWEVER, if there is any sideways travel of bullet it can keep it trajectory and yes then it can kill a person but will land very far away from starting point since traveling up but to side as well

Answer 8

There was a Mythbusters episode about this. A bullet falling from the sky would not normally be going fast enough to penetrate a human scull. Terminal velocity was too slow. I'm sure it would hurt though!

Answer 9

Yes that is why they outlawed shooting on New Years eve in New Orleans so many innocent people died from falling bullets.

Answer 10

Yes it can and it did. In the South African Police Museum in Pretoria is an exhibit of such a case. Its all in the trajectory.

Answer 11

I saw this on Mythbusters. They couldn't make it work. But they also had a doctor on the show that had examined several people who were either injured or killed this way.
Because of this, they said it is possible.