| Description: |
The apparatus consists of a spring loaded gun which shoots a steel
ball projectile horizontally and a pendulum bob which catches the ball
in an inelastic collision. The pendulum bob then swings up, and a ratchet
mechanism stops the bob at its highest point. This highest point in the
swing can then be measured. The "muzzle velocity"of the ball can be determined
independently by a second experiment in which the ball is fired horizontally
a known distance above the floor. The horizontal distance the ball travels
before it hits the floor is measured. |