What is Ballistics: Definition and 60 Discussions

Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behavior and impact effects of projectiles, especially ranged weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.
A ballistic body is a free-moving body with momentum which can be subject to forces such as the forces exerted by pressurized gases from a gun barrel or a propelling nozzle, normal force by rifling, and gravity and air drag during flight.
A ballistic missile is a missile that is guided only during the relatively brief initial phase of powered flight and the trajectory is subsequently governed by the laws of classical mechanics; in contrast to (for example) a cruise missile which is aerodynamically guided in powered flight like a fixed-wing aircraft.

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  1. K

    Momentum ballistics speed question

    In a ballistics test, a 25.0 g bullet traveling horizontally at 1100 m/s goes through a 30.0 cm-thick 450 kg stationary target and emerges with a speed of 900 m/s. The target is free to slide on a smooth horizontal surface. How long is the bullet in the target? i tried to use this equation ...
  2. W

    Air Cannon Theory Help (Internal Ballistics)

    I have built a pneumatic tennis ball lancher (with compressed air). I need to develop theory (i.e. equations and formula) to determine the velocity as the ball leaves the barrel. I have the projectile motion after the ball leaves the barrel down pretty well. I'm having issues acounting for...
  3. R

    Welcome! Discussing Airgun Ballistics

    Greetings to all Forumites ! I am new to this forum and this is my first post. If the subject of my post does not concur with this section, pls excuse me and redirect me to the correct section. Thanks. My interest is in ballistics, particularly internal. Most of my questions and discussions...
  4. F

    Marking system for ballistics pendulum

    Marking system for ballistics pendulum? Does anyone have any ideas for a low resistance marking system for a ballistics pendulum? The professor I am working for wants me to build a ballistic pendulum (as a demonstration apparatus) for a very weak airsoft gun. He said there must be a...
  5. T

    Ballistics - Find magnitude of force on a kicked ball

    a ball of mass 0.2 kg, initially at rest, is kicked directly toward a fence from a point 20m away. The velocity of the ball as it leaves the kicker's foot is 20m/s at angle of 40º above the horizontal ground. The top of the fence is 4m high. THe kicker's foot is in contact with the ball for...
  6. C

    Ballistics, trajectory and jerk.

    Could the rate of change of accelaration (or jerk in m/s3) affect the trajectory of a projectile? If so could it be to a noticeable extent? Given two systems where projectiles are fired by different propellants, say gasses with different rates of expansion. One reaches its maximum velocity...
  7. wolram

    The Reality of Terminal Ballistics: Is it Really Like the Movies?

    I all ways thought films dramatized the act of some one being shot, like they fly backwards or jump in the air, but according to this it is true. http://www.bobtuley.com/terminal.htm
  8. J

    Materials Science Ballistics: Investigating Strain and Recrystalization

    I have been given kind of a bonus question that requires a little thinking and I wanted to ask if I am going in the right direction with my thinking as I am new to Materials Science. Given: Ballistics test in which a high velocity projectile is fired at a block of material. Isotropic. Does...
  9. S

    Simulating Ballistics - Computing Coefficient of Drag

    Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum and very impressed so far. I'm making a program which simulates the flight of an object. In order to do that, I have to compute the coefficient of drag. This is the first problem. From what I know, it should be possible to determine this number (at least...
  10. V

    Solving for Theta: Help With a Ballistics Equation

    Hey everyone, I'm trying to solve for theta in a derivitive of a ballistics equation and I'm afraid I'm stuck. My trigonometry is a little rusty, can someone help me out? I have: cos(theta)*sin(theta)=gd/2v^2 With the information I'm given I can solve the the right side of the equation...
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