Ballistic Pendulum

For the Video analysis:

Mass of bullet: 0.0026 kg

Mass of block: 0.613 kg

Square dimensions: 4cm x 4cm

Handling Length measurements and uncertainty:

• Pick a level on the grid to be your zero line

• Measure length squares with a ruler on your screen and make a scale factor:

  • x cm on my screen = 4cm

• Count the number of squares (or measure with a ruler) and scale to real cm from conversion factors.

• For ybest to measure a y_i and a y_f

• For uncertainty: Measure about how many centimeters you cannot tell or how much you estimate your measurement can be off (note the block tilts a little.) scale this number with your conversion factor)

Handling time measurements:

• Skip thinking about frames (too confusing)

• Set the controls to go every 0.01 seconds and count how many thousandths of seconds the block took to move one square

• Uncertainty will be the number of thousandths of seconds that the frames did not change from the frame that goes before crossing the first square until after it crosses that square.

• The video is in slow motion such that

  • 1 second watched= 1/4 real seconds

• Scale your time reading and your uncertainty using that scale factor.