Something to ponder, about physics

If a hummingbird is flying inside a closed car (windows closed, roof up, w/e) will it move with the car or will it be pulled to the back of the car? And if it does move with the car, what happens when the car comes to an abrupt stop after driving at high speeds? Does the hummingbird hit the front window?

We need our smartest people on this one!

If it is stationary it will hit the back window.

If it moves with the car and the car abruptly stops, then it will hit the front window.

Simple physics.

The air in the car doesn't affect anything?

Nope.

Think about how you fly forward in your seat when someone slams down on the breaks. Or how you wear your seat belt for the sole purpose of not going through your windshield for the same reason.

When the thing is in the middle of the car, not touching anything, the car will go past it and thus the thing will be smashed on the back window.

And so if the bird hovers it will move with the car?

Only if it is moving at the same speed of the car.

If it is moving at 0 MPH and the car is going 50, the bird will smash against the back window.

Never really thought about that.
Would the bird get smashed to the back if the car was moving at 50mph and the bird being held in one's hand, and while the car's still in motion let free to fly?

unless there's air flowing in and out of the car, no

The bird is probably too stupid to realize it's moving that fast once it gets released.

Nope, dont think so since the force of the car is transfered into the bird because you are holding it. So it already has the initial velocity of the car when you let it go.

Yes, but would it slow down because it doesnt know how fast it's moving once it is released?

EDIT: Never mind, The bird could move freely inside the car once released.

This post has been edited by Dark Yoshi on Jul 9 2008, 07:12 AM

That is if the car keeps moving at constant speed. If the car would slow down the bird would smash in the front window. If the car accelerated i don't think the bird could keep up.
edit: but it would probably just land, then it would have the speed of the car again. So if you kept going faster and that bird keeps landing and flying and you suddenly hit the brake.. you got a bird going 100 m/h through your front window. xD

This post has been edited by dsguru on Jul 9 2008, 07:19 AM

Now here's a real physics question. If Earth suddenly stopped rotating around the sun, would everything on it fly off of it like a giant emergency break?

Probably.

you mean revolving, or rotating?

going around the sun, or spinning?

I think things on the earth would go in that direction but they wouldn't fly off of it, because of gravity.

But it's not possible for the earth to just stop moving (it'll either fly off its track if there was no pull towards the sun, or it would get sucked into the sun if there was no force outwards) so I dunno how valid any answer could possibly be.

I used to ponder things like this when I was little.

yhbt