Methodology

Materials 1 set ballistic pendulum with accessories 1 pc meterstick

A. Ballistic Pendulum, Initial Velocity 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Determine the mass of the steel ball and the mass of the ballistic pendulum. Setup the apparatus in such a way that the pendulum is in the 0 level. Measure the initial height y1 of the pendulum bob from the base to the reference point O. Fire the steel ball to the pendulum holder and take note of the displaced angle. Do it five times and get the mean angle. Set manually the pendulum bob to the mean angle computed then determine carefully the vertical distance y2 from the base of the ballistic pendulum to the reference point O. Get the difference between y2 and y1 to get the increase in height of y of the steel ball and the pendulum bob which is used to determine the change in potential energy. Compute the velocity of the steel ball and the pendulum bob after the inelastic collision with equation (4) using the value of increase in height y. the change in potential energy is theoretically equal to the change in potential energy. By using conservation of momentum, the balls velocity can be readily determined, which is actually the firing velocity. Use equation (5).

8.

B. Trajectory, Initial Velocity 1. 2. 3. 4. Fix the pendulum upward so that the ball can be fired to the floor without any obstruction. Set the spring gun at the end of the table. (Note: Never aim the spring gun to anybody or to any breakable object. Allot longer distance that the expected horizontal distance the steel ball will travel.) Measure the vertical distance (y) of the firing position. Using the velocity of the ball calculated in part 1, the horizontal distance which the ball is supposed to land can be predicted. Within that area, put a sheet of bond paper, face-down carbon paper and another bond paper. When the steel balls land on this pack of papers it will leave a black mark on the bottom sheet of bond paper. Fire the steel ball and measure the horizontal distance (x). do it five times and then compute the average horizontal distance (x). Determine the initial velocity using equation (7).

5. 6.