Study of the Ballistic Pendulum
Introduction: The study of the ballistic pendulum began with Benjamin Robins in the early 1700 's. Robins was an English mathematician and writer on ballistics, and used this testing apparatus for the evaluation of the strength of gunpowder and the measurement of air resistance (Calvert, 2006). At the time of the American Revolution a loyalist named Benjamin Thompson also utilized and expanded the use to the ballistic pendulum. He further evaluated the efficiency of gunpowder. He fired from a small cannon, into a heavy suspended target and found the speed of the bullet by finding the rise of the target (Stern, 2006). The study of the ballistic pendulum is quite unique and incorporates many important physical laws. For this reason, peers interested in physics and ballistics may have an interest in this experiment. Peers interested especially in the study of energy and momentum would have the most interest in this data.
While analyzing the data found from a ballistic pendulum experiment, the Law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy and the Law of Conservation of Momentum both need to be utilized. The involvement of both of these physical laws struck the group 's immediate interest because of the pertinence to what had been being learned in class. The two previous laws were used in concert with a background with springs, Hooke 's Law, and inelastic collisions. This background knowledge is essential in understanding the experiment, resulting calculations, and analysis. The main objective of this experiment was to determine the initial velocity of a ball shot from a spring loaded gun, into a receptacle which traveled up a ramp. As well as finding the initial velocity of the ball we also wanted to determine the spring constant of the spring used in the spring loaded gun. Lastly, we wanted to analyze what speed would theoretically be reached if no friction forces acted on the apparatus and what percent was lost to friction.
Law of Conservation of
While analyzing the data found from a ballistic pendulum experiment, the Law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy and the Law of Conservation of Momentum both need to be utilized. The involvement of both of these physical laws struck the group 's immediate interest because of the pertinence to what had been being learned in class. The two previous laws were used in concert with a background with springs, Hooke 's Law, and inelastic collisions. This background knowledge is essential in understanding the experiment, resulting calculations, and analysis. The main objective of this experiment was to determine the initial velocity of a ball shot from a spring loaded gun, into a receptacle which traveled up a ramp. As well as finding the initial velocity of the ball we also wanted to determine the spring constant of the spring used in the spring loaded gun. Lastly, we wanted to analyze what speed would theoretically be reached if no friction forces acted on the apparatus and what percent was lost to friction.
Law of Conservation of
Cited: Calvert, JB. (2006). Cannons and Gunpowder. Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://www.du.edu/~jcalvert/tech/cannon.htm Hyperphysics. (2000). The Ballistic Pendulum. Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html Stern, DP. (2006). Robert Goddard and His Rockets. Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sgoddard.htm