Another brain teaser

[Bananas]

You are a hunter in search of Wimbats. A Wimbat is a hypothetical creature that hangs

from trees, and has the ability to release its grip and fall to the ground at the same

instant that the striking pin on your rifle contacts the bullet. Your rifle is such that there

is no arc in the trajectory, it shoots in a straight line. At a distance of 50 yards,

where would you aim to hit him?

(this might be too easy)

Bananas!

 

[FJRottie]

I would aim at the ground, and then shoot.

When the wimbat releases its grip and falls to the ground,

(at the same instant that the striking pin on my rifle contacts the bullet)

I would stomp it with my shoe.

 

[Bananas]

The Wimbat is a two hundred pounder and would bite your foot off! You have to hit him

with the bullet that is fired from the gun.

Bananas!

 

[yanktar]

How about having a mini-gun as a rifle and point just above the ground. Start firing, he jumps and falls in the bullet stream...

You left out 2 key variables: The muzzle velocity of the bullet. Because you need that to answer the question: How long will it take the bullet to travel 50 yards?

And how far the critter is off the ground.

In the time it takes the bullet to travel 50 yards, how far will the critter fall at 9.8 meters / second squared?

Of course, there's an alternative answer: For the bullet have no arc of trajectory it MUST be moving SO fast it covers the 50 yards instantly. Then just aim at the critter and fire and he'll be hit before he falls.

 

[slapnpop]

AIM STRAIT UP!

 

[FJRocket]

AIM STRAIT UP!

Man, you are GOOD!

 

[Bustanut joker]

It apears as though this thing is going to eat me, so... I'd take a bullet and end it quick as I've no chance of hitting it anyway. I'm such a poor shot I can't hit my house from fifty feet with a shot gun :huh:

:jester:

 

[Just Plain Dave]

Taking into consideration the wimbat is hypothetical, I would aim an imaginary rifle anywhere at all and claim I got him. You can't prove me wrong now, can you?

 

[Just Plain Dave]

Did he fall TO the ground the instant the firing pin hit the bullet, or did he fall TOWARDS the ground the instant the bullet was contacted?

 

[kaitsdad]

How tall is the tree?

 

[TejasFJR]

how tall is the bullet?

 

[bikerjazz]

where would you aim to hit him?

Aim directly at the wimbat.

The bullet and the wimbat would both fall at the same rate of speed and meet on the way down. The velocity of the bullet doesn't matter. If the velocity the bullet is slowed, the two would just meet closer to the ground.

 

[Bananas]

We have a winner!! Bikerjazz wins. All objects fall at the rate of 30 P/second squared.

They will meet on the way down.

Bananas!

 

[yanktar]

We have a winner!! Bikerjazz wins. All objects fall at the rate of 30 P/second squared.
They will meet on the way down.

Bananas!

Sorry. That doesn't jibe with your description:

" Your rifle is such that there is no arc in the trajectory, it shoots in a straight line."

Now while such a rifle would be magical, its bullets wouldn't fall between you and the target, or this statement isn't true. If the bullets are falling it does NOT shoot in a straight line.

I like the "Shoot straight up" answer better.

 

[bikerjazz]

We actually did this exact experiment in high school physics class.

It involved shooting a ball bearing at a small metal cap held to the ceiling at the opposite end room by a electro magnet.

When the ball left the end of the barrel it tripped a switch which released the cap held by the magnet. The barrel was aimed directly at the cap.

You could see the path of the ball bearing arc as it flew through the air striking the cap perfectly as it fell.

I thought it was a pretty cool experiment at the time.

 

[PapaUtah]

Assuming he is hanging by his feet if I aim center of mass with my .220 Swift I think I will hit him right square in the nuts on the way down...

 

[DrEvil777]

the ability to release its grip and fall to the ground at the same
instant that the striking pin on your rifle contacts the bullet.

Technically the "striking pin" or firing pin never contacts the "bullet." It contacts the base of the cartridge or primer and triggers the primer to cause a subsequent chemical reaction which causes a small explosion and forces the "bullet" out from the end of the cartridge and out into the barrel and out of the end of the gun or rifle.

So either shoot straight up or accept that this "rifle" scenario is bogus.

 

[gulag]

if a wimbat is bug sized, this could get tough.It'd require figuring target speed,distance and bullet velocity inorder to calculate 'lead'(pronounced 'leed').If a wombat is king cong size,no problem. Aim at his balls.