Ballistic Pendulum and Projectile Motion Experiments
This set of ballistic pendulum and projectile motion experiments can be performed with the equipment from the Ballistic Pendulum Kit (ME-1263).
Grade Level: College • High School
Subject: Physics
Activities
01) Ballistic Pendulum - Wireless
A ballistic pendulum is used to determine the muzzle velocity of a ball shot out of a Projectile Launcher. The laws of conservation of momentum and conservation of energy are used to derive the equation for the muzzle velocity.
02) Ballistic Pendulum
A Ballistic Pendulum is used to determine the muzzle velocity of a ball shot out of a Projectile Launcher. The laws of conservation of momentum and conservation of energy are used to derive the equation for the muzzle velocity.
03) Inelastic Collisions
Compare how much energy is transferred to the pendulum in a completely inelastic collision compared to a partially elastic collision.
04) Conservation of Angular Momentum and Energy in a Ballistic Pendulum
In this experiment you will analyze the angular collision between a ball and a physical pendulum. You will compare the angular momentum of the ball before the collision to the angular momentum of the pendulum-ball system after the collision. Both angular momenta are measured about the pendulum’s pivot point.
05) Projectile Range vs. Launch Angle
Students use a Mini Launcher to measure the range of a projectile on a horizontal surface for various angles. The average range is calculated for each angle, and average range vs. angle is graphed. A user-defined curve fit is used to predict the maximum range and the angle at which it should occurs. These values are then tested with a final launch.
06) Conservation of Energy of a Ball Shot Straight Up
The purpose of this experiment is to confirm that the initial kinetic energy of a projectile shot straight up is transformed into an equal amount of gravitational potential energy.
07) Conservation of Momentum in Two Dimensions
In this experiment a ball hits another ball at a glancing angle and students confirm that momentum is conserved for elastic and inelastic collisions in two dimensions.
08) Path of a Projectile
The purpose of this experiment is to determine how the vertical distance a projectile drops is related to the horizontal distance the projectile travels when the projectile is launched horizontally.
