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Lecture Demonstrations

Mechanics
   

M38: Ballistic Cart

 

Purpose: To demonstrate that the horizontal motion of a projectile is independent of vertical forces on it.

Description: A launcher on a cart fires a ball vertically as it passes a trigger point. Since the cart and the ball both have the same horizontal motion the ball lands back in the launcher. The drop rod can also be used to drop a ball into the laucher as the cart passes the trigger point. See additional notes for how to do this.

 

Turn on the power to the ballistic cart and push down on the yellow ball to engage the spring that launches the ball. Fire the ball with the cart at rest by passing a piece of paper through the photogate. Notice that it falls back into the cart. Then load the ball in the cart and give the cart a modest push along the track. As it passes the post, the flag breaks the beam in the photogate, and the ball releases. The ball should rise and fall back into the moving car. Demonstrate for various speeds. If you elevate one end of the track and let the cart accelerate past the flag, the ball still falls into the cart because both ball and cart experience the same component of acceleration parallel to the track. Caution: Be sure the track is level side-to-side. There are adjustment knobs on two sides of the cart to correct the aiming.

                              
Equipment List: Storage Location: HAHN N 130A

 

Pasco ballistic cart with balls D1.4
  Pasco Dynamic track F4.3

References:

Manual: None   Setup Notes: M38 PIRA #: 1D60.10
Manufacturer(s): Pasco Scientific # ME-9486 Other school's Demonstration web pages

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