UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Industrial Engineering
UGIA1023 Dynamics

Title: Study of Ballistic Pendulum

Experiment 1: Study of the Conservation of Energy and Momentum

Objectives
To study the principles of conservation of energy and of momentum.

Apparatus and Materials

e-lab for ballistic pendulum (oPhysics: Interactive Physics Simulations)
https://ophysics.com/e3.html

Bullet Wood
Block

Height Indicator

Figure 1: A ballistic pendulum is a device used to determine the speed of a bullet.

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Theory

Conservation of Energy

For an object with speed v and mass m, the kinetic energy (K.E.) is defined as

1
𝐾. 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑣 2
2
Recall that the work done on an object by a force F displaced an amount x, is defined as:

𝑊 = 𝐹𝑥

The potential energy describes the amount of work necessary to move an object of a given mass
from one point to another when the object is subject to forces. The difference in the potential
energy between the starting point and the ending point of the object’s motion is the amount of
work or energy necessary to move the object. For an object of mass m subject to a gravitational
force of strength mg, the potential energy is simply:

𝑃. 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ

where h is the vertical displacement between the final and initial positions.

When the bullet shot out from a gun, it will have the maximum kinetic energy. When it hit on the
wood block, the wood block will swing and move to a maximum height where the velocity of the
pendulum is zero. At this point, all the kinetic energy has been converted to the potential energy.
Using, the conservation of energy principle, to find the initial velocity:

𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦

1
(𝑚 + 𝑚𝑤 )𝑣 2 = (𝑚𝑏 + 𝑚𝑤 )𝑔ℎ
2 𝑏

2(𝑚𝑏 + 𝑚𝑤 )𝑔ℎ
𝑣2 =
(𝑚𝑏 + 𝑚𝑤 )

𝑣 = √2𝑔ℎ (1)

Conservation of Momentum

From the conservation of momentum, we can calculate the speed at which the wood block will
move after trapping the bullet. For a totally inelastic collision, we have

𝑚𝑏 𝑣1 + 𝑚𝑤 𝑣1 = 𝑚𝑏 𝑣2 + 𝑚𝑤 𝑣2

𝑚𝑏 𝑣1 = (𝑚𝑏 + 𝑚𝑤 )𝑣2 (2)

2
The velocity (v) in equation (1) is same with the velocity (v2) in equation (2). Hence, by
combining the equation (1) and (2),

𝑚𝑏 𝑣1 = (𝑚𝑏 + 𝑚𝑤 )(√2𝑔ℎ)

(𝑚𝑏 + 𝑚𝑤 )(√2𝑔ℎ)
𝑣1 =
𝑚𝑏

where v1 = initial velocity of the bullet.

Experiment Procedures

1. Go through the provided experiment video before starting the experiment.

2. Go to the website https://ophysics.com/e3.html.
3. Use the horizontal sliders to adjust the mass of the bullet, mass of the wood block, and the
initial velocity of the bullet
4. Press the "Fire" button.
5. The bullet collides with and sticks inside of the wood block. After the collision the wood block
and bullet swing upward (and then back and forth).
6. Use the vertical slider (height indicator) on the right to move the reference line in order to
determine the maximum height reached by the bottom of the block.
7. Record down all the measurements (mass of the bullet, mass of the wood block, the maximum
height reached of the wood block) in Table 1.
8. Use the masses of the block and bullet, the maximum height reached, and the concepts of
conservation of momentum and energy to calculate the initial velocity of the bullet.
9. Use the checkbox to show the initial velocity once you have finished your calculation and see
how close you came. Record all the results in Table 2.
10. Repeat step 3 to step 9 for another two more set of experiments with different masses of the
block and bullet, and initial speed.

Table 1
No Bullet Mass, mb (kg) Wood Block Mass, mw (kg) Max. Height (m)
1
2
3

Table 2
No Pre-set Initial Speed (m/s) Experiment Initial Speed (m/s) Percentage of error (%)
1
2
3

3
Experiment 2: Study of the Projectile Motion

Objective
To study the theory of projectile motion of a particle.

Apparatus and Materials

e-lab for projectile motion (oPhysics: Interactive Physics Simulations)
https://ophysics.com/k8.html

Figure 2: Projectile motion simulator.

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Theory

Projectile motion under the influence of gravity is a subject with which we are all familiar. We
learn to shoot basketballs in an arc to swish through the basket or to bounce off the backboard.
These are examples of projectile motion. In the projectile motion, the air resistance is neglected
for small objects and the only force is gravity force which acts in the vertical direction.

Consider a body with an initial speed v0 at angle θ with respect to the horizontal axis. We analyze
the body’s motion in two independent coordinates x (horizontal) and y (vertical). [As we are free
to choose this origin of our coordinate system, we choose x = 0 and y = 0 when t = 0 to simplify
our calculations]. Figure 3 shows that the components of the velocity vector along the x- and y-
axes are respectively:

v0
v0y θ
v0x

Figure 3

v0 x = v0 cos
and v0 y = v0 sin

If we neglect air resistance, the only force affecting the motion of the object is gravity and there is
no force at all in the horizontal direction (x-direction). Since there is no horizontally applied force.
Hence, the velocity in x-direction is constant.

For x – direction:

v = v0 + at vx = v0 x
1 2 ax = 0
x = x0 + v0 t + at x = x0 + v0 xt = x0 + (v0 cos )t
2
v 2 = v02 + 2a ( s − s 0 ) vx2 = v02x

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The force in the y-direction (vertical) is gravitation (Fy = -mg). Since F = ma, ay = -g. Hence, the
equations are:

For y – direction:

v = v0 + at v y = v0 y − gt
1 ay = -g 1 2 1
y = y0 + v0 t + at 2 y = y0 + v0 y t − gt = y0 + (v0 sin  )t − gt 2
2 2 2
v 2 = v02 + 2a ( s − s0 ) v y = v0 y − 2 g ( y − y0 )
2 2

Experiment Procedures

1. Go through the provided experiment video before starting the experiment.

2. Go to the website https://ophysics.com/k8.html.
3. Switch on the “Show Velocity Vector, Show Velocity Vector Components, and Set Angle and
Initial Velocity”.
4. Set the acceleration to 9.81 m/s2.
5. Adjust the animation speed to the slowest speed.
6. Use the horizontal sliders to adjust the initial velocity, adjust to any velocity that you wish.
This initial velocity will use to complete all the experiments.
7. Use the horizontal sliders to adjust the launch angle (refer to Table 3).
8. Press the “Fire” button.
9. The particle (red dot) will launch and show projectile motion in a parabolic form.
10. Press the “Pause” button after the particle reached the ground.
11. Use the forward and backward button to adjust the particle just touch the ground.
12. Record down all the data in Table 3.
13. Use the forward and backward button to adjust the particle to find out the max height.
14. Record down all the data in Table 4.
15. Repeat step 7 to step 14.
16. Calculate and complete Table 3 and Table 4.
17. Plot the graph s vs v02 (sin 2 ) and s vs .
18. By referring to the graph s vs v02 (sin 2 ), generate the linear equation (y = mx + c) from the
graph and complete Table 5.

Table 3:
 () 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
s (m)
v0 (m/s)
v02 (sin 2 )

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 Table 4:
No Experimental y (m) Theoretical Max. Height, y (m) Percentage of error (%)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Table 5:
Experimental Gravity Theoretical Gravity Percentage of error (%)
Acceleration, g (m/s2) 1
Acceleration, (m/s2)
𝑚

Remark: for both experiments, you must show out all the calculations in your lab report.

Discussion

1. Compare the experimental results with theoretical results. Discuss the source may lead to the
differences.
2. In the experiment, we are using the conservation of energy equation (from kinetic to potential)
to find the initial speed of the bullet. Is there any other method to determine the bullet’s initial
speed? Explain your answer.
3. Assuming you are a javelin athlete, what are the factors you should consider launching your
javelin to as far as possible? Explain your answer.
4. Discuss any other findings from the experiments and your conclusion.

Acknowledgement

1. AP Physics Lab 7: Conservation of Momentum - Ballistic Pendulum. (2011, September 19).

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCCZOaHb6y4
2. Physics Undergraduate Labs | Departments of Physics and Chemistry - EMU. (n.d.). Physics
Undergraduate Labs. https://physics.emu.edu.tr/en/laboratories/physics-department-
labs/undergraduate-laboratories