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Table of Contents
Ballistic Pendulum
Description
Demonstrate an inelastic collision
Inelastic collision, conservation of energy.
Purpose
1. To show a ballistic pendulum as a method of measuring the velocity of a fast-moving object 2. An example of an inelastic collision
Apparatus
- Ballistic pendulum - Air gun - Blackboard
Setup
1. Draw a scale on the blackboard which shows the angles the pendulum can swing to. 2. Shoot the pendulum. 3. Have the students' watch where the pendulum swings to (watch for parallax). 4. Do a simple calculation demonstrating the speed of the pellet when it hit the pendulum.
Notes
Be extra careful with this demonstration as the air gun can cause damage to soft tissue.
Wikipedia Article on Ballistic Pendulum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_pendulum
Updated on 01/21/16
Demo room information
| Location | —- |
| Maker | Unknown |
| Current State | Working |