The Single Bullet Theory Kathleen Tormey Physics 001

Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas On Friday, November 22, 1963 at 12:30pm Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John F. Kennedy. The car was a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible.

The Scenario In the limousine was President Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, John Connally (Governor of Texas), and his wife Nellie Connally. The car was being driven by 2 secret service members.

The School Book Depository The convicted shooter Lee Harvey Oswald was posted ‘sniper style’ in the 6 th floor of the Texas School Book Depository. This building was directly on the path of the Presidents route. The black arrows represent the route. The red box is the Depository. The red X’s mark where the president was along his path when he was struck by the bullet.

Lee Harvey Oswald Oswald used an Italian Carcano M91/38 bolt action rifle to shoot JFK. Bullets found after the shooting and during autopsy

The Shooting According to the Warren Commission, the first bullet struck JFK in the upper back, penetrated his neck, hit his upper vertebra, hit his right lung, then exited his throat at the center beneath his larynx. It has been said that the same bullet then hit Governor Connally entering his back just below his right armpit, shattering his right 5 th rib, exiting his chest below his right nipple. The same bullet then entered his right wrist shattering bones, exited below the wrist on the right side of his palm, then lodged in his left thigh. A third bullet (or second..) then fatally hit the President in the back of the head killing him. A fourth bullet was shot but missed.

The Warren Commission The name given to the Presidents Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. This group became known as the Warren Commission. They concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone when he killed JFK. Introduced the SINGLE BULLET THEORY

The Single Bullet Theory This is used to explain the first bullet that struck President Kennedy in the back, exited his throat, then proceeded to hit Governor Connally and lodge in his thigh. To be true the bullet would have had to go through 15 layers of clothing, 7 layers of skin, 15 inches of tissue, struck a necktie knot, removed 4 inches of rib, and shattered a radius bone.

The Single Bullet Theory

Debunking the Theory In class one of the first things we learned about were Newton’s Laws of Motion. The first law states that any object in uniform motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. (Law of Inertia) The second law states that F = ma. The third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Debunking the Theory I believe that in order to debunk the theory Newton’s first law must be brought into the scenario. The bullet CE399 had the least damage out of any of the bullets. For it to have done all the damage it was said to have done there would have been equal damage to the bullet. Due to the fact that there was almost no damage to the bullet, then that would destroy the theory of inertia. The bullet would have had to take the same damage that it did to JFK and Governor Connally.

Every bullet showed signs of damage (exerting force, breaking bones, damage from the initial shooting) except CE399 “The Magic Bullet”. What stumps me is that bullet CE399 was supposed to have caused more damage than any other one, yet there is no damage to show on the bullet.

Connections to Physics 001 Not only is this connected to class using Newton’s Laws, but it is also connected due to the fact that the bullet being fired is simply projectile motion. With gravity, the projectile is going to follow a curved path. Since the bullet had such a high initial velocity the path will be more straight, but once it leaves the barrel it is going to start to decelerate. If the “Magic Bullet” was shredding skin and breaking bones then it is going to continue in its path, it couldn't’t have had the inertia to bounce off things and change paths.

There is nothing strong enough in the human body to make a speeding bullet (which is also on a downward slope with gravity) make a direction change like it is shown here. I’ve marked in orange the path that the bullet should have traveled according to 001 Physics. Completely changing what the Warren Commission said.

In Conclusion, I do not believe there is a true way to de-bunk what happened this fateful day. It could have been a conspiracy, or the bullet really could have been ‘Magic’. The world will never have all the information to work the mathematics out for what happened.

Works Cited "Single-bullet Theory." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Apr "Assassination of John F. Kennedy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Apr "HSCA Public Hearings Exhibits - Page 6." Photos. Mary Ferrell Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Apr