so would it get hit and die or just get hit and since it's so small nothing happens and it just blows away
2007-09-14 02:06:11 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I want to know what would happen to the fly not the bullet it's only obvious the bullet will keep going.
2007-09-14 02:25:52 · update #1
A bullet is supersonic so a shock wave forms behind the front tip of the bullet, see http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0074.shtml
However at the leading edge that would hit the fly there would be no disturbance of the air, so the effect on the fly would be the same as in a vacuum. The force on the fly would be F=d(mv)/dt which would smash it.
Note: a near miss would be different because, as can be seen in the picture the fly would be effected by the shock wave.
2007-09-14 04:32:56 · answer #1 · answered by meg 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why waste a bullet on a fly, but the fly would die when the bullet hit it.
2007-09-14 09:12:12 · answer #2 · answered by graciouswolfe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would be splattered into a fine mist because even though the fly is so small, a bullet would be travelling at better than 1800 ft/s and the fly would be smashed by the instant acceleration.
2007-09-14 09:13:35 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe since that a fly has very little mass, the bullet would lose a small amount of momentum but otherwise keep going
2007-09-14 09:12:50 · answer #4 · answered by starzrock92 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sound waves of the firing which travel faster than the bullet will alert the fly to move out of the way of the bullet.
2007-09-14 09:44:02 · answer #5 · answered by Madhukar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing, the momentum of the bullet is so high (mass x speed) compared with that of the fly, it will hardly change. The fly will vanish, but the bullet will continue its path until it hits something harder.
2007-09-14 09:16:41 · answer #6 · answered by vlee1225 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've often hit flies in midair with a fly swatter. It kills them, or a least stuns them long enough to kill. You can even stun a fly by throwing it again a hard floor with you hand (sometimes I catch 'em too). A bullet? Splat.
2007-09-14 12:33:13 · answer #7 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
are u throwing the bullet? overhand or underhand? either way, if you are throwing it and hit a fly midair , i must say thats friggin impressive.
2007-09-14 09:15:20 · answer #8 · answered by slink510 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the intense friction between the bullet and the gun's nozzle will create heat that will burn/melt the fly upon contact and it's speed will just bounce it off.
2007-09-14 09:17:50 · answer #9 · answered by Martin O 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You would have a hard time finding anything left of the fly.
2007-09-14 09:15:25 · answer #10 · answered by Brian A 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋