Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watrose.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!watrose!jhputtick
From: jhputtick@watrose.UUCP (James Puttick)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: A Question on Ballistics
Message-ID: <7087@watrose.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Nov-84 10:25:07 EST
Article-I.D.: watrose.7087
Posted: Sat Nov  3 10:25:07 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Nov-84 06:25:32 EST
References: <246@iham1.UUCP>, <603@watdcsu.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 9

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the earth's surface is
curved. Thus, if fired from a given height, in the time it takes the
bullet to fall that height because of gravity, it will have travelled
part of the way along a tangent to the earth, and thus will be a little
above the earth at this new point. At low speeds, this extra distance
is negligible. At fast enough speeds, though, the new point could be
the same height above the ground as the firing point. The result is that
the bullet goes into orbit. :-)
  Now, if only we could forget about air resistance...