Interactive Simulation

Shooting Bullets Vertically Upward into Two Wood Blocks

Open the activity below and explore the concept visually. Use the category link to return to the broader Rotation collection.

Description

This is a simulation of two identical guns firing bullets vertically upward into identical wood blocks. One gun fires directly into the center of mass of the wood block, the other gun can shoot anywhere into the block. So, one block rises without spinning, the other one spins as it rises. Which block will rise higher after being shot?