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Ballistic Pendulum definitions

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  • Ballistic Pendulum
    A device used to measure the velocity of a projectile, involving a collision and pendulum motion.
  • Collision
    An event where two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time.
  • Pendulum
    A weight suspended from a pivot so it can swing freely, used to demonstrate motion and energy.
  • Conservation of Momentum
    A principle stating that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act on it.
  • Conservation of Energy
    A principle stating that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant over time.
  • Inelastic Collision
    A type of collision where the colliding objects stick together and move as one mass post-collision.
  • Kinetic Energy
    The energy possessed by an object due to its motion, calculated as 1/2 mv^2.
  • Potential Energy
    The energy held by an object because of its position relative to other objects.
  • Velocity
    The speed of something in a given direction, crucial for calculating momentum and energy.
  • Gravitational Potential
    Energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, often set to zero at the lowest point.
  • Angle θ
    The angle formed by the pendulum with the vertical, calculated using trigonometric functions.
  • Arc Cosine
    The inverse function of cosine, used to determine angles from cosine values.
  • Mass
    A measure of the amount of matter in an object, crucial for momentum and energy calculations.
  • Height
    The vertical distance an object rises, used to calculate potential energy in pendulum problems.
  • Trigonometric Functions
    Functions like sine, cosine, and tangent used to relate angles to side lengths in right triangles.