College Physics with MasteringPhysics 7th Edition by Jerry Wilson,Anthony Buffa,Bo Lou

Exercise 67

In Fig., a spring-loaded "cannon" on a wheeled car fires a metal ball vertically. The car is given a push and set in motion horizontally with constant velocity. A pin is pulled with a string to launch the ball, which travels upward and then falls back into the moving cannon every time. Why does the ball always fall back into the cannon Explain.

FIGURE A ballistics car See Conceptual Question.