its mass will go up hugely, meaning the force provided to a small pellet will barely move it any further
But since the ring is at the end of the barrel, all of the force has already been applied to the pellet. I supposed to crux of the matter is whether the shrunken pellet has its original mass or not, and whether momentum or velocity is conserved upon transformation.
The limiting factor is not force or velocity but energy. If the pellet retains its original mass, the kinetic energy imparted by the explosion won’t be enough to propel it to any kind of useful distance. If the pellet’s mass drops proportionally to its size, the explosion will accelerate it to a sufficient velocity, but upon exiting the barrel, the sudden increase in mass means it would have to shed a lot of its velocity to conserve its kinetic energy.
Truly, the question is whether magic can violate the laws of thermodynamics, and how that would affect entropy.
the question is whether magic can violate the laws of thermodynamics
Well obviously it can, it’s magic and can do all kinds of dumb things. Like, go through the Player’s Handbook and tell me which spells DO rigorously follow scientific principles. It’s a pretty short list.
Well either phyisic is getting bent over the tabel. If ke is mantianed as the mass return them it screw up momentum, which is also something that is conserved irl. If the momentum is conserved the keis violated
But since the ring is at the end of the barrel, all of the force has already been applied to the pellet. I supposed to crux of the matter is whether the shrunken pellet has its original mass or not, and whether momentum or velocity is conserved upon transformation.
The limiting factor is not force or velocity but energy. If the pellet retains its original mass, the kinetic energy imparted by the explosion won’t be enough to propel it to any kind of useful distance. If the pellet’s mass drops proportionally to its size, the explosion will accelerate it to a sufficient velocity, but upon exiting the barrel, the sudden increase in mass means it would have to shed a lot of its velocity to conserve its kinetic energy.
Truly, the question is whether magic can violate the laws of thermodynamics, and how that would affect entropy.
Well obviously it can, it’s magic and can do all kinds of dumb things. Like, go through the Player’s Handbook and tell me which spells DO rigorously follow scientific principles. It’s a pretty short list.
Do we have a reason to believe that a magic ring would conserve kinetic energy, rather than momentum or velocity?
Well either phyisic is getting bent over the tabel. If ke is mantianed as the mass return them it screw up momentum, which is also something that is conserved irl. If the momentum is conserved the keis violated