girojim said:If a train is traveling 100mph in one direction and a fly is traveling 5mph the opposite, and the fly hits the train what speed is the fly traveling at the point of impact?
berkeman said:5mph. Same speed all the way up until the fly is killed by the impact. Is this a homework question?
The speed and direction of the train are not affected by a fly hitting it because the mass of the train is significantly larger than that of the fly. The train's momentum will not change due to the small impact of the fly.
It is highly unlikely for a fly to survive hitting a train at high speeds. The force of the impact would be too great for the small body of the fly to withstand. Additionally, the train's speed would add to the force of the impact.
The speed of the train will affect the impact of the fly in terms of the force of impact. The faster the train is moving, the greater the force of impact will be when the fly hits it.
After the fly hits the train, it will most likely be killed due to the impact. If it somehow survives, it will most likely be knocked unconscious or injured.
No, a fly hitting a train will not cause any significant damage to the train. The impact of a small fly will not be enough to damage the sturdy structure of a train.