Eli5 If you shoot a bullet into the air how does it gain enough velocity on the way down to kill someone?
In: 5
Gravity. Gravity is the same all the way. It’s slowing the bullet down at a constant rate on the way up, and speeding it up at the same constant rate on the way down. If it wasn’t for energy lost to air resistance along the way, it would hit the ground at the same speed it left the gun. And if it hit you, it would do as much damage as it would if you’d been straight in front of the gun when it was fired.
Air resistance slows it – but not nearly enough to be safe.
Without air resistance, the only major force acting on a bullet is gravity.
Gravity will slow the bullet down when it goes up, but accelerate it when it goes down.
A bullet will come down exactly as quickly as it went up.
However, air resistance will limit the falling speed to what is called terminal velocity, in which the force of gravity and air resistance are in equilibrium. This speed might still be enough to kill someone.
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