Question

A pilot drops a bomb from a plane flying horizontally at a constant speed.

Neglecting air resistance, when the bomb hits the ground the horizontal location of the plane will:

A. depend on the speed of the plane when the bomb was released.
B. depend on the mass of the bomb when it was released.
C. be behind the bomb.
D. be over the bomb.
E. be in front of the bomb.

Answer 1

D. be over the bomb.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the bomb is dropped from the plane, it has the same horizontal speed as the plane since the plane is not accelerating.

The vertical motion of the bomb during the drop is purely under gravity and does have any effect on the horizontal velocity of the bomb; it determines how long it takes for the bomb to hit the ground.

Hence, the bomb and the plane are actually travelling with the same horizontal speed and will have travelled the same distance by the time the bomb lands.