You are standing a far ways away from the base of a tree from which a monkey is hanging on a branch exactly 5 meters above the ground.

This monkey has psychic relaxation syndrome, which means that as soon as the gun goes off, he will let go of the tree branch without realizing it and fall down.

The problem with this is the monkey will fall, and not be where it was before you shot the gun, so it will be in another spot when the bullet is next to the tree. How far below the spot where the monkey's tail is before the shot is fired should you aim so the monkey's tail will be hit regardless of its "letting go" of the tree branch?

(Assume there is zero air resistance.)

(In reply to speed of sound/bullet by GOM)

Danny,

I think that's why the question states that the monkey has PSYCHIC relaxation syndrome.  It's not the sound that causes it to let go but that it "senses" a gun has been fired at it.

Posted by Sing4TheDay on 2004-05-28 10:50:35