ballistic pendulum

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a device consisting of a large mass hung from a horizontal bar by two rods, used to measure the velocity of an object, as a bullet, by retaining the object upon impact, its velocity being a function of the displacement of the mass.

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Etymology

Origin of ballistic pendulum

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ballistic pendulum

One was the determination of the288 velocity of a bullet fired from a rifle into a Robins ballistic pendulum.

From Lord Kelvin An account of his scientific life and work by Gray, Andrew

The experiments were made in the usual manner by firing bullets into a ballistic pendulum, and recording the swing of the pendulum.

From Heroes of Science: Physicists by Garnett, William

Robins, in 1742, first measured the muzzle-speed of the shot by firing into a ballistic pendulum and noting the swing of the pendulum.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various

This cannon is a duplicate of the one used for the ballistic pendulum, details of which have already been given.

From Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171 by Wilson, Herbert M.

The disruptive force of explosives is determined in three ways, namely, by the ballistic pendulum, by the Bichel pressure gauge, and by Trauzl lead blocks.

From Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171 by Wilson, Herbert M.