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Old 10-31-2010, 10:30 PM   #9 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kgwedi View Post
Bullets are made out of lead (or depleted Uranium) so they go farther for the same amount of initial power than lighter bullets.
Not so. There is a lot of wasted energy in the propellant, that's what makes the bang & muzzle flash. The heavier bullet absorbs more of this energy in its trip down the barrel. Now (assuming that two bullets have the same muzzle velocity) the heavier one will have the greater kinetic energy, which means it'll go further because aero drag doesn't depend on mass.

Quote:
If you watch a soaring championship, the gliders carry about 100 Gal. (800pds) of water as ballast. This gives them a better sectional density. CDa/Mass (????)
But they're getting their energy for free, from the thermals. The heavier glider will have a lower rate of climb in a given thermal, because it takes more energy to lift the glider to a given altitude. But once it's at altitude, it has greater potential energy, and so can glide further.

With a car, you're not getting energy for free (unless you live at the top of a mountain), so you lose with more weight.
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