When you talk to AI you have to sort of prime it... that's what I did by making it do the math. So now I asked about your question with that math in it's mind so it can get very specific...
My friend says
2. What about the force the projectile is exerting against the curved barrel?
As you say, recoil in a normal gun will push the gun and shooter backwards. If you curve the barrel to force the the projectile to reverse course, the projectile will exert an equal force against the barrel, tending to "pull" the gun and shooter forward.
I said that's where the loss comes in... that it would pull the shooter back a little but not as much as if you just caught the bullets on a string... that would be like a Newtons cradle situation... can you explain the difference very clearly and I only have a high school education so make it real clear
ChatGPT
Absolutely, let's break down these concepts in a clear and simple way:
Recoil in a Normal Gun:
When you fire a normal gun, the bullet is propelled forward by the explosive force of the gunpowder. According to Newton's third law of motion ("for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"
, the gun (and the shooter holding it) experiences a recoil, or a push backward. This is because the force that pushes the bullet forward also pushes the gun backward.
Curving the Barrel:
In your scenario, where the gun barrel is curved to redirect the bullet back towards the shooter, a different interaction happens. As the bullet moves along the curved barrel, it exerts a force on the barrel. According to Newton's third law again, the barrel (and thus the gun and the shooter) will experience an equal and opposite force. However, this force is not exactly in the opposite direction of the bullet's initial motion; instead, it's directed more inwards, following the curve of the barrel.
Difference Between Catching Bullets and Curved Barrel:
If the bullets were caught on a string (like in a Newton's cradle), the momentum of the bullets would be transferred directly to the astronaut, pushing him in the same direction as the initial recoil. This is a direct transfer of momentum from the bullets to the astronaut.
With the curved barrel, the force exerted by the bullet against the barrel is partly counteracting the recoil but also partly dissipating as stress within the barrel itself. It's not a straightforward transfer of momentum from the bullet to the astronaut. Some of the bullet's energy is lost due to friction, heat, and the structural strain on the barrel.
Energy Loss:
In both scenarios, there is energy loss. However, with the curved barrel, more energy is lost due to the complex interaction of forces and the structural stress on the barrel. This means that the "pull" you feel from the bullet pressing against the curved barrel is less effective in propelling you forward compared to a direct momentum transfer like catching the bullets.
In summary, while curving the barrel redirects the bullet and does exert a force on the barrel and shooter, this interaction is less efficient in terms of propulsion compared to a direct momentum transfer. This is because of the way forces work in curved paths and the energy losses involved in such a system.
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