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On the viability of sinking an object in order to launch it into the air

If you sink an object and then let go then it accelerates upwards. What if I sank something a very long way (say a mile or so)?

I've read in New Scientist about the potential of using supercavitation to travel very fast through water.

So what’s to stop me attaching a lightweight projectile onto a big rock with a piece of string which will detach at a certain depth, dropping it off a boat and firing something into space?

 

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Categories: Transport.

Tags: transport, float, launch, Space.

 

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Angelar says:

Since the upwards acceleration of the projectile is caused by the downwards acceleration of the water around it, its upwards acceleration cannot be greater than the acceleration of free-fall, so the projectle cannot be propelled further above sea level than it was sunk below sea level, and it will go straight up so it cannot easily be aimed at anything. Water has much more friction than air but if the projectile is well streamlined it can briefly becom airborne. 

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Tags: transport, float, launch, Space.

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posted on 2010-08-06 07:22:20 | Report abuse


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