If you're standing in a moving bus, and you jump up, would you land on the same spot you took off from, or would you move backwards? Would it matter if the bus was moving at a constant speed? What if the bus is accelerating when you jump?

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Seahawketti |
another physics type question |
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My son just had to put this in my head! Now I can't quit thinking of it.
If you're standing in a moving bus, and you jump up, would you land on the same spot you took off from, or would you move backwards? Would it matter if the bus was moving at a constant speed? What if the bus is accelerating when you jump? |
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UrbanSprawl |
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If you're inside a bus and jump up, you'll land in the same place. Why? Because you're moving at the same speed as the bus.
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PassionatePiscesMan |
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Same spot. Einstein showed this a long time ago
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merkyl |
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You would land it the same spot on the bus, but in a different location relative to the road moving at a constant speed. If the bus was accelerating you'd
land on a different spot on the bus. See Einstein's Special theory of Relativity and Keanu Reeve's Whoa Theory of buses.
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Hamdingers |
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What if the bus was on a treadmill going the opposite direction?
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frisbeehead |
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But you would also land in the past. An episode of Star Trek The Next Generation explored this phenomenom. |
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castratos the glorious |
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When I drive and smoke I've noticed that the smoke tends to drift to the back of the car and not stay stationary above my head. Why is that?
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merkyl |
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Because you are a filthy human being for smoking.
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Seahawketti |
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merkyl wrote: Good answer. |
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Licorice |
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Be careful not to hit your head on the overhead luggage bins...
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Seahawketti |
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frisbeehead wrote: The whole time travel thing is totally over my head. It just could never be possible. You can't go back to something that is no longer there. |
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castratos the glorious |
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Smoking isn't that filthy. |
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Eugene Schwindlemyer |
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Licorice wrote: WTF? are you from Europe? We don't have those in the US |
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frisbeehead |
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Seahawketti wrote:A lot of people are still living in the eighties. |
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shalmaneser |
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I think your stoner kid is laughing at you trying to wrap your head around high school physics...
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Hamdingers |
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You could just tell your kid to jump while he's on the bus and find out.
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shalmaneser |
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I heard it works better if you stand on top of the bus. Towards the back...
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Dances with Pigs |
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Where is the bus going?
I was on a bus once....it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life. :c ( |
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SmrtAss |
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I would probably fall on my ass.
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viva la blonde |
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but that doesn't make sense. cuz, i'd be going l l see? up
and the bus would be going ______. maybe you misunderstood the question. hope the visuals help |
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Hamdingers |
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