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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!felix!birtch!oleg
From: oleg@birtch.UUCP (Oleg Kiselev x268)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Fly and train
Message-ID: <38@birtch.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-Oct-85 21:26:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: birtch.38
Posted: Fri Oct 18 21:26:16 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 20-Oct-85 04:43:17 EDT
References: <508@runx.OZ> <2092@brl-tgr.ARPA> <568@ecsvax.UUCP>
Organization: Birtcher, Santa Ana, Ca.
Lines: 18

> The original article asked the question about a fly hitting a train
> which was going at the same speed (velocity of fly = -v of train.)
> It asked why when the fly's speed went to zero, doesn't the train's speed
> go to zero, as well.
 Why not assume that the RELATIVE of the fly, the train speed was 0,
 and the fly did 2X clip. Then it is possible to say that the fly
 stops at the collision and its speed does go to 0, that is the train's
 speed ( minus the conservation of momentum in the system) if the 
 collision was INELASTIC. Assuming a perfectly elastic collision the fly
 will get to speed of 0 (stop relative to the train) and then bounce
 off. Other than concervation of momentum, nothing should effect the train
-- 
DISCLAMER: The above are the opinions of a type V demon who took posession of
me as a result of a failed AD&D summoning spell. Send flames to /dev/Gehenna.
----------------------------------+ With deep indifference,
"I disbelieve an army of invisible|                       Oleg Kiselev.
 mind-flayers!"                   |...!trwrb!felix!birtch!oleg
"OK. They are *still* not there." |...!{ihnp4|randvax}!ucla-cs!uclapic!oac6!oleg