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Ballistic Pendulum Lab Report

This document describes an experiment using a ballistic pendulum to determine the initial velocity of a projectile. The apparatus includes a ballistic launcher, pendulum, box to catch the projectile, and amplitude detector connected to a computer. A bob is fired into the pendulum, and its kinetic and potential energy are calculated using conservation of mechanical energy and momentum principles. The experiment is repeated five times, recording the pendulum amplitude each time. The average initial velocity of the bob is calculated to be 5.98 m/s. Sources of minor error are friction in the pendulum apparatus and difficulties measuring the pendulum height and bob's center of mass precisely.

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Ali Maria
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136 views5 pages

Ballistic Pendulum Lab Report

This document describes an experiment using a ballistic pendulum to determine the initial velocity of a projectile. The apparatus includes a ballistic launcher, pendulum, box to catch the projectile, and amplitude detector connected to a computer. A bob is fired into the pendulum, and its kinetic and potential energy are calculated using conservation of mechanical energy and momentum principles. The experiment is repeated five times, recording the pendulum amplitude each time. The average initial velocity of the bob is calculated to be 5.98 m/s. Sources of minor error are friction in the pendulum apparatus and difficulties measuring the pendulum height and bob's center of mass precisely.

Uploaded by

Ali Maria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Objective
  • Experimental Procedure
  • Concept
  • Apparatus
  • Theory
  • Readings and Calculations
  • Conclusion
  • Discussion and Precautions

Applied physics lab 3

BALLISTIC PENDULUM
Apparatus:
 Ballistic launcher
 Pendulum
 a box [to catch the projectile]
 spherical bob
 amplitude detector attached to the pendulum and computer.
 Capstone software
Objective:
To find the initial velocity of bob.
Concept:
Law of conservation of momentum.
Law of conservation of mechanical energy.
Theory:
We can find the initial velocity of a bob by shooting it into a pendulum and
calculating its kinetic and potential energy and using the concept of the
conservation of mechanical energy and momentum.

Experimental procedure
 Measure the mass of the bob and pendulum.
1
 Measure the height of the pendulum from the center of mass of the bob to
the tip of pendulum.
 Arrange the apparatus such that the pendulum is exactly in front of the
ballistic gun.
 Know load the bob into the gun/launcher and load it for fire.
 Fire the gun and recode the amplitude of the pendulum simultaneously using
capstone software.
[ note: the amplitude detector will automatically recode the amplitude.]
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 Know using the acquired data find the velocity and maximum height
obtained by the pendulum.
 Repeat the experiment five times to acquire accurate results and find out the
average velocity.

Readings and Calculations:


The mass of the bob is
And the mass of pendulum is
The height of the pendulum is

2
Graph 1 showing maximum amplitude of o.322radians.

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Graph 2 showing maximum amplitude of 0.311radians.

Graph 3 showing maximum amplitude of 0.291radians. 3


The above table shows the initial velocity of the bob, and maximum height attain by the
pendulum.

Conclusion:
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Since the initial velocities of the five experiments are as above hence the average
velocity will be (5.98+6.05+5.63+6.23+6.01)/5=5.98m/s
The initial velocity of the bob is 5.98m/s.

Discussion and Precautions:


Our readings will not be 100% accurate and will differed to a small extent from one
another due to some errors.
 Friction also plays a greater role in the pendulum experiment, by the nature
of the apparatus itself (ratcheting against plastic). This may explain the
minute errors of the results.
 Secondly the height of the pendulum cannot be measured exactly due to a
slight tilt in the pendulum and the center of mass may also have error in
decimal points.
 The air resistance can also matter.
 If the angle of the pendulum becomes a bit greater the amplitude can also
4 have a minute error.
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Applied physics lab 3 1 BALLISTIC PENDULUM Apparatus:  Ballistic launcher  Pendulum  a box [to catch the proj
[Type the company name] 2  Measure the height of the pendulum from the center of mass of the bob to the tip o
[Type the company name] 3 Graph 1 showing maximum amplitude of o
[Type the company name] 4 The above table shows the initial velocity of the bob, and maximum height attain by
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