ballistic pendulum, device for measuring the velocity of a projectile, such as a bullet. A large wooden block suspended by two cords serves as the pendulum bob. When a bullet is fired into the bob, its momentum is transferred to the bob. The bullet’s momentum can be determined from the amplitude of the pendulum swing.
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What is the ballistic pendulum formula?
That is Vb=Vb(mb,mp,V). 2. The masses mb and mp will be measure directly. We will now apply conservation of energy immediately after the collision and at the point when the ball + pendulum reach the maximum height ‘h’.
What type of collision is a ballistic pendulum?
The ballistic pendulum is a practical device in which an inelastic collision takes place.
Why is the experiment called a ballistic pendulum?
The “ballistic pendulum” carries this name because it provides a simple method of determining the speed of a bullet shot from a gun. To determine the speed of the bullet, a relatively large block of wood is suspended as a pendulum. The bullet is shot into the wooden block so that it does not penetrate clear through it.
What is the use of ballistic pendulum?
A ballistic pendulum is a device for measuring a projectiles momentum, primarily for small arms. From which it is possible to calculate the velocity and kinetic energy. Ballistic pendulums have been largely rendered obsolete by modern chronographs, which allow direct measurement of the projectile velocity.
What happens to the kinetic energy in a ballistic pendulum?
In the case of a pendulum total mechanical energy is conserved. So kinetic energy of the pendulum (after firing) is fully converted to potential energy.
How do you find the velocity of a bullet in a ballistic pendulum?
How do you find the initial velocity of a ballistic pendulum?
By measuring the horizontal distance (range) of the projectile, you can determine its initial velocity. This gives you an independent check on the velocity V0 with which the ball is fired by the cannon. 6. The range is given by x = v0 t where V0 is the initial velocity of the ball and t is the time of flight.
Who invented the ballistic pendulum?
Benjamin Robins (1707 – 1752), a British mathematician and military engineer, was the first to devise a practical method for measuring the velocities of projectiles. He described his work in New Principles of Gunnery, first published in 1742. At right is a picture of one of his inventions, the ballistic pendulum.
Are ballistic pendulum elastic or inelastic?
This is an inelastic collision, in contrast to an elastic collision where energy is conserved. Is the initial kinetic energy of the bullet equal to the kinetic energy of the block plus bullet immediately after the collision?
Why is a ballistic pendulum elastic or inelastic?
On the other hand, in an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved and the two objects stick together after the collision. In the case of the ballistic pendulum, the collision is inelastic because the bullet is embedded in the block.
Is kinetic energy conserved in a ballistic pendulum?
The ballistic pendulum is a device in which a projectile such as a bullet is fired into a suspended heavy wooden stationary block. Some kinetic energy gets transformed into heat and sound, and some is used to deform the block. However, momentum is conserved.
What kind of properties can be measured using the ballistic test?
By the use of the ballistic test method, we can measure flux density, magnetizing force, B-H curve, and hysteresis loop of the specimen. We can also able to study various permeabilities and the demagnetization factor of ferromagnetic samples.
How do you solve ballistic pendulum problems?
Is kinetic energy negative or positive?
Kinetic energy must always be either zero or a positive value. While velocity can have a positive or negative value, velocity squared is always positive. Kinetic energy is not a vector.
Does a pendulum lose momentum?
Momentum of the pendulum is not conserved, because it is constantly changing during the flight of the pendulum.
What is Ke formula?
Kinetic energy is directly proportional to the mass of the object and to the square of its velocity: K.E. = 1/2 m v2. If the mass has units of kilograms and the velocity of meters per second, the kinetic energy has units of kilograms-meters squared per second squared.
Which two principles of physics are applied to find the velocity of the bullet?
The velocity of the bullet could then be calculated from the known masses of the bullet and block, and from the maximum height reached by the block after impact. Two fundamental principles of physics are used in the calculation: conservation of momentum and conservation of energy.
What type of energy is a swinging pendulum?
As a pendulum swings, its potential energy changes to kinetic energy, then back to potential energy, then back to kinetic energy, and so forth.
Is kinetic energy can be negative?
The kinetic energy of a body cannot be negative because the mass cannot be negative and the square of the speed gives a non-negative number. However, the change in kinetic energy can be negative. Was this answer helpful?
Is a bullet being fired inelastic collision?
Since a bullet hitting something is a macroscopic event, it must be inelastic. That means that we will not be able to say that kinetic energy is conserved during the collision itself.
How do you find the momentum of a bullet?
- pB = Bm*BV.
- pB = Bm*BV.
- pB = 21*5 =105 (m/s*kg)
How can you increase your momentum?
If you increase either mass or velocity, the momentum of the object increases proportionally. If you double the mass or velocity you double the momentum.
What is the speed V of the bullet?
New York: World Book, 1998. “The velocity (speed) of rifle bullets varies between 600 and 5000 feet (180 and 1500 meters) per second.
What is meant by perfectly inelastic collision?
A perfectly inelastic collision occurs when the maximum amount of kinetic energy of a system is lost. In a perfectly inelastic collision, i.e., a zero coefficient of restitution, the colliding particles stick together. In such a collision, kinetic energy is lost by bonding the two bodies together.