Celebrating With Guns

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
What happens to the bullets that are fired straight up(during special occassions like new year eve etc...). Will those bullets come down?
- Rajaram
A:
Rajaram-

They certainly will come down. They aren't going nearly fast enough to go into orbit, even if there were no air friction to slow them down. Air friction on the way up and down will slow them so their speed when they hit the ground will be less than it was when going up, but the bullets could still be deadly. Winds will also blow them to the side and it will be unpredictable where they will land. So it's only luck that determines if they kill or injure anybody when they return to ground level.

Nowadays, out of concern for safety, people would generally fire blanks (not actual bullets).

Mike W. (and Tim)

(published on 10/22/2007)