What Is Galileo's Horse and Rider Experiment?

[bni]

Dear physics gurus,

A couple of years ago I saw a TV program on physics, in it there was an classical physics experiment they recreated. The experiment was roughly like this:

A horse rider holds a stone in his hand and the horse he is riding goes at full speed. The rider drops the stone. Where does the stone hit the ground?

Do you know who originally performed this experiment and what it is called. If you have a link with info about it would be much appriciated.

Thanks!

 

[CraigD]

I remember a problem in clasical mechanics of a woman droping hay bales out of an airplane to feed cattle in a field. Don't know the original experiment sorry, but it is a good problem.

CraigD, AMInstP
www.cymek.com

 

[charng]

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to us about this classical physics experiment. The experiment you are referring to is known as the "Galileo's Horse and Rider Experiment" and it was originally performed by Galileo Galilei in the 16th century. He used this experiment to demonstrate the concept of inertia, which states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Here is a link with more information about the experiment and its significance in classical physics: https://www.thoughtco.com/galileos-horse-and-rider-experiment-2699124. I hope this helps answer your question and sparks your interest in the fascinating world of physics.

Best regards,