If youre sitting in the open space at the back of a ford truck travelling at 90mph and fire a crossbow ?

Question

just wondering if the arrow would travel at the same velocity or would something interesting happen if the crossbow fired from a stationery position.

ive got a little too much time on my hands right now - this one intrigues me...

Answer 1

The bolt would travel at it's regular velocity in relation to the truck. To an observer, stationary at the side of the road the bolt would have a a velocity of 90 mph + its regular velocity, assuming you fire  towards the front of the truck. What the h**l are you trying to kill in the truck?

Answer 2

Give up, surrender, make peace, do penance what ever, you are not winning this one

Answer 3

you fire behind the target opposite of standing still a shooting ahead takes some practice

Answer 4

Are you firing the crossbow in the direction the car is going, over the tailgate, or over the side of the pickup?

Planning a drive-by at the renaissance fair?

Answer 5

A ford Pickup can do 90 mph???

Answer 6

It depends on which direction the crossbow is fired and the motive force or thrust imparted to the bolt (arrow) by the crossbow mechanism.

Case One. The bolt is fired in the same direction that the truck is travelling and the thrust is less than 90 mph.

The bolt will initially travel at 90 mph but will decelerate and eventually hit the target/ground at a distance further than if it was fired from a stationary position.

Case Two. The bolt is fired in the same direction that the truck is travelling and the thrust is more than 90 mph.

The bolt will initially travel at 90 plus the difference in launching speed mph but will decelerate and eventually hit the target/ground at a distance further than if it was fired from a stationary position.

Case Three. The bolt is fired in the opposite direction to that the truck is travelling and the thrust is less than 90 mph. The bolt will initially travel at 90 mph but will decelerate and eventually hit the target/ground at a distance further than if it was fired from a stationary position.

Case Four. The bolt is fired in the opposite direction to that the truck is travelling and the thrust is more than 90 mph.

The bolt will initially travel at 90 plus the difference in launching speed mph but will decelerate and eventually hit the target/ground at a distance further than if it was fired from a stationary position

Answer 7

I would say that the arrow would leave the crossbow at 90mph and the impact would be 180mph.

Answer 8

I assume you mean firing forward

If the arrow travels 90 normally and you hop in truck and increase speed to 90 then when the arrow leaves the bow it will be traveling 180 miles / hr

or if you fire it backwards then it would just fall to the ground going more or less zero

Answer 9

The arrow will do exactly what it would if it was fired from a still position.

The only effects that are confusing you are the effects of the vehicles moving away from the firing position. Imagine you were at the side of the road, and the pick up and KGB vehicles were coming along the road. You shoot the arrow just as the pick up passes by - observe the effects.  The arrow travels normally and the vehicles speed past it at 90mph.

If you are in the pick up, you speed away from the firing point at 90mph! The other effects are all the same as i described above.

Answer 10

Normal speed of the arrow minus the forward speed of the firing platform if fired back behind.

Answer 11

Well there is some other good answers but,

You need to ask Robin Hood.

Answer 12

the  guy called Barrow WHO has answered your question is correct in stating the direction you fire the bolt will make a difference and so  do other factors. The air resistance at that speed also reduces the motion of the cross bolt and he correctly notes the effect.

  only thing in addition I would put is are you aware that if you were travelling in say a jet fighter and shone torch  forward whilst another man standing on the ground shone a torch forward too. would the  fighter torchlight be any faster ? the answer is No. this is well defined as an example of the maximum speed  of light is  fixed and cannot go any faster even if  shone form a rocket travelling at 17000mph. I only included that as it looks as though  your thinking was relevant in asking that question.