If you walk on a train track and get hit by the train...did the train hit you, or did you hit the train?

Question

I don't know who hit who...

Answer 1

You can think of it using relativity or newtons third law. Newton's third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In that case, you and train hit each other.

Relatively speaking, I believe someone already said that the object that does the hitting is usually considered to be moving faster. Let me elaborate:

It really depends on the frame of reference - one of the theories postulated in Einstein's special relativity. Everything is relative to something else, velocity (motion) is always relative and there is no such thing as an absolute velocity. So there is no absolute answer to your question.

Eg. You could take the rest frame (still frame) to be the person on the track, in which case he would be fixed while the train is approaching at a certain velocity. hence, the train hits the person
OR
You could take the rest frame of the train, in which case the train is not moving but the person on the track is coming towards the train. In that situation that person would hit the train.

Generally speaking, we normally take the rest frame to be earth and we calculate all other velocities with respect to it. In that case, the person on the track is still which respect to earth, while the train is moving towards him at a certain velocity. When they collide it can be said that the train hits the person.

Answer 2

If the train was standing still you hit the train.

Otherwise the train hits you.

The difference is when you hit a train you're just embarrassed that you weren't looking where you were going, but when the train hits you you're dead.

Answer 3

The train hit you of course, unless the train is stopped and you walked into it.
YOu are gonna be dead though.

Answer 4

When you walk in the middle of a street and a car hits you, did you hit the car?
Brain cells need charging here.
Answer: Pedestrian on train track is suicidal. Train hit pedestrian, but pedestrian guilty of being where he/she shouldn't have been.
Answer: Pedestrian walking down middle of road just as unintelligent and suicidal. Pedestrians don't belong on roads and train tracks. You take your life into your own hands and neither train nor driver of car guilty of hitting you if you are using their tracks or road.
Stay off the tracks...and keep to the side of the road if no sidewalk available.

Answer 5

The train will have hit you. And it would serve you right as you were trespassing on private railroad property without permission. And if I were you, I would take Hoghead's advice VERY seriously.

Answer 6

Train hits person. Person then equals a pancake.

Answer 7

obviously the train hits you ...if you run straight ahead at the train it still hits YOU because your speed is lower then the train's speed.

Answer 8

the train hit you, unless u where running towards the train and hit it.

Answer 9

Generally, the thing that is faster is the one that does the hitting.

Like: "I just hit a deer with my car!" or "That bird just hit my house."

Answer 10

depends on the direction the earth was rotating (west to east), which direction the train was travelling, and many other different factors, that you have not provided.

Thank you for your question.