If a stone is dropped from a balloon on a still day, does the stone fall directly below the balloon, or to the west or east of it?

In the earth's intertial reference frame (the one we live in) it should fall directly beneath the balloon.

Of course, if viewed from a non-earth fixed reference, it lands some 314,000 feet from where it started since the earth is moving around the sun at 67000mph.  This is assuming the balloon is hovering at about 100 meters above ground.

Posted by Bob Smith on 2005-07-07 20:06:56