The Monkey and the Hunter
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A hunter walking through the forest spots a monkey in a tree.  He knows that, when he shoots, the monkey will hear the sound and immediately drop to the ground in an attempt to escape.  Where should the hunter aim?  Below the monkey?  Above the monkey?

Hints

  1. If one object is dropped and a second launched horizontally from the same height, which hits the ground first?
  2. How far does the monkey fall in a given time?
  3. How far does the bullet's path deviate ("fall") from a straight line in the same time period?

Reference

See Serway and Beichner, Physics For Scientists and Engineers 5th Edition, Example 4.4

Illustration written by Chuck Niederriter