[quote]that is kind of gay what does that mean oh if you read this mythbusters please read it on the show[/quote]

Are you sure you want them to read such a poorly written post and embarra$$ you in front of the entire world?

Too bad for all you leprechauns, you CAN curve a bullet.
it can be proven using this experimental set up:
on the xy grid
place the gun on a track moving left to right on the line x=y . then point the gun 90 degrees to this track in the direction x=-y,
maintaining this point vector, move the gun rapidly from bottom left to upper right at muzzle velocity V, firing when the location is 0,0.

the composite velocity vector of the bullet is now (V along x=-y) plus (V along x=y), these add up to square root of 2 times V along the y axis

Thus the bullet will travel along the y axis, but be POINTED along x=-y. aerodynamic forces then will cause the bullet to CURVE left away from the y axis.

QED

Sigh...

So what about when a baseball player throws a curve ball? How is that any diffrent? I'm just curious, cause i was wondering if it was possible.

Please, read the thread. It has been discussed at least once.

master sergeant, what do you mean by "sigh"?

i say the effect of headwind on a spinning rod with yaw angle left 45 degrees is: rod goes left.

if aerodynamic forces are balanced around the center of mass of the length of the rod there will be no precession, and the rods path will change vector until it aligns with the rotation axis of the rod.

bet you could see this with an arrow that has no tail feathers. or fins along its entire length
so pressure is uniform along the length.

.perhaps a shot with a crossbow bolt mounted on the 45 degree track of my earlier post would show this behavior.

or you could mount a rod or bullet in a wind tunnel with 45 degree yaw and measure the left force. NASA ames at moffet field has high and low speed tunnels that could be used for this experiment.

Master sergeant is sighing because all you’ve done is validate what I wrote on the OP. I made a list of 4 things that can cause a bullet to curve horizontally after being fired. You just described number 1: wind can cause a bullet to curve. Keeping in mind that motion is relative, your setup is similar to someone firing a bullet into a strong wind that is angled 45 degrees to the shooter. We already know that wind can make a bullet curve. You’re preaching to the choir.

And, drbobo, the thread topic is:

"the issue at hand is weather or not a person can rotate their wrist while firing a gun and cause the bullet to curve horizontally."

SchroedinngersCat and others,
We might as well give up, we are dealing with people who won't read and distrust any math higher than what it takes to count their change for the vending machine. Anyone who still wants this tested in the real world (not CGI world) come and volunteer to be a test subject. The application forms will include a waiver of all responsibility for anything happening to them and a new will giveing us all asset, if any (got to cover expenses). Also included will be the necessary information for entry into the 'Darwin Awards'.

I have to say thank you! I went to see Wanted the other day and as we left the theater I stated that I wondered how long it would take for some idiot to actully think they can "bend a bullet". You know somewhere, and at sometime someone is going to try this...kill someone...and say..."but it worked in that movie"...
I went to work the next day. We were sitting at the break table and began to discuss the movie. I repeated the coment and sure enough...someone said...it is possible, you can do it, i saw it on the internet, it's just like throwing a curve ball, me and my boyfriend are going to the shooting range this weekend to do it!
I found myself sitting there trying to give a physics lesson...at this point I should say I'm a nurse and where scientificly I can tell you all about the human body and disease process...I have not had any phyisic since jr.high! This person wanted to argue that she had seen it on the internet! Come on people...really...just like the movies...not everything on the internet is real!
Then a co-worker had the idea to check out mythbusters. This is where we came across your post. I printed the page and gave it to the crazy girl who thought she could actully "bend a bullet"....and added...when you try this please do not bring the wounded to this hospital!!

[quote]This is where we came across your post. I printed the page and gave it to the crazy girl who thought she could actully "bend a bullet"[/quote]

After all the projects I worked on in college, it took the MB forum for something I did to finally get published.

I'm glad I could be of assistance, and glad you were able to use the post.

And those people listened to us? There's hope! By golly, we may get through to these people yet!

the Coriolis effect can bend bullets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect#Ballistics

so it is part true

[quote]the Coriolis effect can bend bullets

...

so it is part true[/quote]


Yes, we've said all along that an object will move in a straight line unless acted on by an outside unbalanced force. That isn't in question.

But the fact is, that no matter how you "flick" your wrist, you will not be putting any unbalanced external forces on the bullet once it leaves the barrel (other than the ones that already exist for any bullet's flight).

Even Coriolis effect will not bend the bullet. It may appear to bend but for something moving as fast as a bullet and in the air as short of a period of time as a bullet its effect will be minimal. Winds move at a speed much less than that of the rotation of the earth and travel for much longer distances than bullets, for them the Coriolis effect is very significant.

the Coriolis effect will appear to affect bullets fired from a high powered sniper rifle but at long ranges only
not close range like the film

and flicking it wont do anything

Hate to burst your bubble but it can be done. I have actualy done it. I can't get a bullet to curve like they did it in the movie but it can be done if you time the trigger pull with the movement. It's a 1 in 100 kind of thing. I think you can find some examples on you tube, or so I have been told. I would also like to express to anyone who wants to try it, DON'T. I should know better myself but my background in firearms allows me some degree of stupidity. In any case it would still be cool to see it someone could curve a bullet just like in the movie. Oh, it works better with a .22 cal short barrel revolver with subsonic ammo.

maybe if the bullets were messed up they would bend throw the air like a boomerang

Hi hotshot: you are full of it. Everything in your post is BS.

The Coriolis effect is not a "real" force, it is an apparent force that is only noticeable to people rotating with the earth. An outside observer would see the bullet fly straight as always.

[quote]I should know better myself but my background in firearms allows me some degree of stupidity.[/quote]

I see a future Darwin Award winner here!! Or, someone doing 15 to 20 for killing someone else out of stupidity.