Physics monkey problem?

Question

In the classical problem where a bullet is shot as a monkey as the monkey drops off a tree branch, does the monkey get hit, or does the bullet hit the monkey?
I know the answer is that the monkey gets shot, but can you explain it using physics terms?

Answer 1

In physics terms, there is nothing as "one thing hits another." motion and location is all based on perspective. For example, if you were falling with the monkey, you would see the monkey as standing still, while the world moved up around it...and the bullet would then hot the monkey.
Conversely if you were moving parallel to the bullet, you would see the monkey run into you. Thus it depends on your perspective at the time of viewing.

Answer 2

Both of them are in motion and following a predetermines path. The bullet and the Monkey are on a collision course and the ultimate result is that the two bodies will collide in mid air. It makes no difference whether it is a bullet or a baseball, the result is the same. Both of them reach the impact point because of their direction and the forces applied to each of them, It cannot be explained ffully in a Physical sense, because the velocities were not known. for instance, the distance traveled and how high the Monkey was before he began to fall.
The Acceleration of the Monkey was 16 feet per second per second, The dynamics of the bullet were unknown. Powder charge, bullet weight and Caliber all enter into that pictrue.

Answer 3

Perhaps we should assume that the intial bullet trajectory is horizontal.

Bullets in this scenario fall downward at the same rate as all other falling objects, though the horizontal speed might be substantially faster than the downward component.

This means that the downward component of both bullet and monkey will remain equal. The only question would be if the time needed for the bullet to reach the monkey is greater than the time for the bullet to fall downward.

Answer 4

Work it as a classic collision problem. Consider the bullet and the monkey as two separate moving objects that collide with/impact each other. Without knowing the mass or velocity of either the monkey or the bullet, or the angle of impact, I cannot work this problem any further.

Answer 5

Since even the oldest muzzle loaders shot their bullets at 1600 feet per second (and modern ones easily do 4000 feet per second) that would have to be a really fast monkey do get himself out of the target area before the bullet arrived there. If he dropped from the branch aided by gravity at 32 feet per second per second even a tiny monkey would not have moved very far before bring hit.

Answer 6

In terms of vertical components, both the bullet and the monkey have the same gravitational forces acting on them.

For a slightly less gruesome example, you could take two pennies. Have one flush up against the side of a table and have one on top. Let go of the one penny and push the other penny off the table at the same time. You'll see that even though the one penny falls straight down and the other falls parabollically, they'll both hit at the same time. This is because Fy=(m)(ay) where ay = gravitational acceleration. And then because velocity does not depend on mass, you'll see that both should hit at the same time.

Answer 7

That is not the answer. The answer is that the monkey and the bullet meet at a convergent point. the end result is that the monkey gets the bad end of things but it does apply a force in the action.

Answer 8

According to Einstein's general theory of special relativity you can say either of the two statements and be perfectly true in each statement.

It depends on your frame of reference. Your reference can be the bullet, the shooter, the monkey, a person observing, the gun, or something else I haven't thought of.

Let's say your the bullet:

You are flying along and WHAM! this stupid monkey jumped out in front of you.

the monkey:

I'm dead

person observing:

Wow, that guy shot that monkey out of a tree.

In either or any case all of the frames of reference witnessed the same thing, so they are all true.

Answer 9

When the monkey started to climb he would increase the tension in the rope. This would cause the weight to accelerate upwards towards the pulley. As the weight moved up, so some of the rope would move over the pulley onto the monkey's side. This would increase the mass of the rope on the monkey's side, and hence the total mass on the monkey's side. As a result, the weight would continue to accelerate upwards until it jammed in the pulley.