A campus bird spots a member of an opposing football team in an amusement park. The football player is on a ride where he goes around at angular velocity ω at distance R from the center. The bird flies in a horizontal circle above him. Will a dropping the bird releases while flying directly above the person's head hit him?
A) Yes, because it falls straight down.
B) Yes, because it maintains the acceleration of the bird as it falls.
C) No, because it falls straight down and will land behind the person.
D) Yes, because it maintains the angular velocity of the bird as it falls.
E) No, because it maintains the tangential velocity the bird had at the instant it started falling.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the bird drops, it will maintain the tangential velocity of the bird at the instant it started falling. This is because there is no force acting on the bird in the tangential direction, so it will continue in that direction. However, the bird will no longer be able to maintain its circular motion and will begin to move in a straight line. Therefore, the dropping bird will hit the ground behind the person, not on their head.

A Campus Bird Spots a Member of an Opposing Football