Demonstrate an inelastic collision

Inelastic collision, conservation of energy.

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

- Ballistic pendulum - Air gun - Blackboard

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.

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