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If you throw a ball in the air...


leXX

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... which direction is it travelling?

 

The obvious answer is up of course, but there are some things you must take into account:

 

The rotation of the earth

The orbit of the earth around the sun

The rotation of the galaxy

The fact that the universe is expanding

 

so what direction is it travelling in?

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Originally posted by leXX

... which direction is it travelling?

 

The obvious answer is up of course, but there are some things you must take into account:

 

The rotation of the earth

The orbit of the earth around the sun

The rotation of the galaxy

The fact that the universe is expanding

 

so what direction is it travelling in?

 

The answer is simple : it's traveling away from you (at least initially, unless you throw it above you).

 

Rotation of the earth has no effect on it's direction. It's akin to throwing something inside a moving car - just because you're moving doesn't mean the ball or whatever travels faster or changes direction.

 

Orbit does have something to do with it - if we were further away from the sun, there'd be slightly less gravity and the ball would travel further. If we were closer to the sun, we'd all be dying and have more serious things to worry about other than throwing balls around. ;)

 

Rotation of the galaxy again, has nothing to do with it - just like rotation of the earth.

 

The fact that the universe is expanding also has nothing to do with it.

 

Just a couple of observations from a guy whos had a LOT of physics. :D

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If it was an eclipce, newyears day at midnight 24:00 or 12:00am,

I guess up to the sun, moon, to the stars (Milky Way) guess thats were it goes :xp:

*head explodes, winches, and falls on the -keyboard- bleeding*gggggggggghkjjhbghjgjbnkblg nbymjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

:D

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Originally posted by Carl Shutt

It's travelling up. Simple as that.

 

'Up' is a relative direction. What is up to you may not be up to someone else. To make your statement correct, substitute 'up' with 'away from you,' like I did.

 

Y'all are making the problem waaaay too complex, lol.

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Originally posted by Carl Shutt

It's travelling up. Simple as that.

 

oh yes but you're from austrailia, so someone from scotland would say that you are throwing it down :D

 

i agree with JEDI_Anakin_S, you are throwing it away from you, covers all directions and the rotation of the earth etc.

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i u throw a ball it doesnt mean it goes up. like u throw a ball to a basket ring. it goes a bit up, if the ring is at greater height then u, and away from u. also the spin u give at a ball is important. u could throw a ball up (in ur thought), but because of the spin the ball will go to the right (example). away from u covers it all i think.

good 1 anakin

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I concur w/ JEDI_Anakin_S,

 

According to Newton's second law of motion, an object in motion will remain in motion until acted apon by an outside force, the ball was already moving at the same speed and direction as myself before I threw it up, and since I too, am moving and rotating with teh earth at the exact same speed and direction, that motion is transferred to the ball.

 

And according to Newton's first law of motion: An object will travel in a straight line unless acted apon by an outside force, the answer would be directly away and up from myself, but at the exact speed and direction of the Earth's rotation, revolutions and the universe's expansion. Thusly it would travel relative to the observer (That being myself) directly straight up and back down!

 

Now to get the actual velocities and vectors we would need to know the exact center of the univers and the rate at which the "blue shift" for our galaxy and coincidentally our Earth. The likes of which I'd rather not deal with at the moment. (Can't think on an empty stomach!) :p

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Originally posted by JEDI_Anakin_S

 

 

The answer is simple : it's traveling away from you (at least initially, unless you throw it above you).

 

I would totally agree with this. It's direction of travel is relative to the person throwing it, i.e. me.

 

Rotation of the earth has no effect on it's direction. It's akin to throwing something inside a moving car - just because you're moving doesn't mean the ball or whatever travels faster or changes direction.

 

This I wouldn't totally agree with. If I'm in a car that's traveling 40 MPH, then, technically so am I and likewise; the ball. If I throw it, it's rate of travel has now just increased. Now, I realize that this counters the fundamental notion of Newtonian physics about an object at rest yada yada. Let's say I open the window with the ball in my hand. I drop the ball, what happens? Does it immediately drop straight to the ground? Nope. It undergoes a brief period of deceleration brought on by both gravity and wind resistence and then will hit the ground a good distance away from where I first dropped it. So, in essence, it already was moving.

 

Orbit does have something to do with it - if we were further away from the sun, there'd be slightly less gravity and the ball would travel further. If we were closer to the sun, we'd all be dying and have more serious things to worry about other than throwing balls around. ;)

 

LOL!!! Not to mention the fact that the ball would melt.

 

*psst* Anakin, it's "farther". ;) One more word in the English language that should be stricken from the dictionary because it's too damn confusin'!! :)

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Originally posted by leXX

... which direction is it travelling?

 

The obvious answer is up of course, but there are some things you must take into account:

 

The rotation of the earth

The orbit of the earth around the sun

The rotation of the galaxy

The fact that the universe is expanding

 

so what direction is it travelling in?

 

WTF?! Are you Einsteins heritage or something??

 

I dont know that....! Why did Einstein die?! :crybaby:

 

As soon he is needed hes dead!!

 

-Clemme

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