As you said, the ping-pong ball would not travel far. The deceleration in much thinner air is enough to obliterate carbonaceous chondrites, suggesting that the lightweight ping pong ball would decelerate very rapidly indeed.
I note that posted drag coefficients for ping pong balls are said to be only valid up to 60MPH - but other work suggests that a supersonic ball would decelerate to sub-100MPH in 25 or 30 feet (less than 10 meters).
A 100% increase in speed at launch (from 200m/s to 400m/s) had little effect on this.
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I note that posted drag coefficients for ping pong balls are said to be only valid up to 60MPH - but other work suggests that a supersonic ball would decelerate to sub-100MPH in 25 or 30 feet (less than 10 meters).
A 100% increase in speed at launch (from 200m/s to 400m/s) had little effect on this.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/super-fast-ping-pong-ball-gun/
Best wishes!
===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle
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