Physics of Firearms Essay - 1363 Words

A firearm, in the most basic form, consists of a barrel, an action, a firing mechanism, a stock and a sighting device. No matter the form of the firearm, the same basic principles of physics and chemistry apply. The study of these principles is called ballistics. There are three types of ballistics, internal, external, and terminal. Internal ballistics is the study of the flight of a projectile inside a firearm. External ballistics is the study of the flight of a bullet after leaving the muzzle and until it hits the target. Terminal ballistics is the study of the effects of a projectile on a given target. Because this essay deals with the flight of the bullet, terminal ballistics will not be discussed. Internal ballistics is the study†¦show more content†¦This is also the same as the diameter of the barrel and is usually measured in hundredths of an inch. For example, a 30 caliber gun corresponds to a 0.300 inch distance between the lands. Recoil As the bullet leaves the gun, it has a certain kinetic energy determined by the mass of the bullet and the square of its velocity (K=1/2mv^2.). According to Newton ï ¿ ½s third law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (F1=-F2.) In the case of a rifle, the bullet leaving the barrel is the action and the free recoil is the reaction. Although the mass of the bullet components and their velocity are the main factors that influence this recoil, acceleration, firearm mass, and the shooterï ¿ ½s mass determine how the recoil is felt by the shooter. The shorter the time the bullet accelerates down the barrel, the harder the kick felt by the shooter. Also, if the mass of the gun is greater, the lower will be the recoil. This is also true of the shooter. A shooter with a larger mass will feel less recoil than the one with a smaller mass. This is why most target rifles are of a small caliber and heavy construction. To demonstrate this, the following calculations show the free recoil generated by a small caliber target rifle (1.06J) and a large caliber big game hunting rifle (53.54J). Free Recoil Free recoil is the result of the propulsive force of theShow MoreRelatedThe Physics of Firearms1626 Words   |  7 PagesFirearms are often featured on the news due to poor use as well as featured in popular culture’s television crime dramas, but have you stopped to ponder about where these devices came from, the different types, the trajectory patterns that are created their bullets and how they work? The following paragraphs are designed to address all of the following questions. A firearm is a complex arrangement of various metals that can eject a small lead piece at high speeds, causing maximum destruction onRead More Physics of Firearms Essay620 Words   |  3 Pagesactivity and it is enjoyed by many people, so much so that it is also done at a competitive level. Although many people may have shot a firearm of some sort, few of those people actually realize how much physics is involved with the shot. So what exactly is Ballistics? Ballistics is the science or study of the motion of projectiles and in the case of most firearms, these projectiles are the bullets. There are two things that affect the flight of a bullet once it has been shot out of the gun. TheseRead MoreThe Field Of The Military Field1313 Words   |  6 Pagesgreat deal of discipline in order to be successful. One has to endure arguably the hardest schooling out of any major, which includes juggling years of higher level of mathematics and its applications with several rigorous scientific classes such as physics, thermodynamics, and chemistry. One has to discipline oneself especially with time management and sharpness to be able to meet the demand placed on them to graduate. Simply said, one cannot slack even slightly in the engineering field otherwise heRead MoreCryogenics Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesIn Physics, Cryogenics is the study of the Production of Very Low Temperature (Below −150  °C, − 238  °F or 123 K) and the Behavior of Materials at those Temperatures. A person who studies Elements under Extremely Cold Temperature is called a Cryogenicist. Rather than the Relative Temperature Scales of Celsius and Fahrenheit, Cryogenicists use the Absolute Temperature Scales. These are Kelvin (SI units) or Rankine scale (Imperial US units). Cryogenics: The Branches of Physics and Engineering thatRead MoreThe On The Sandy Hook Shooting1464 Words   |  6 PagesOn December 14th, 2012, Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and shot and killed 20 children and 6 adult staff members. I remember sitting in my physics class when my phone buzzed and I received an alert from CNN about the tragic event. Newtown only being about 30 minutes away from where I live, affected my city greatly. The rest of the school year every elementary school in my district had a police officer stationed in front of it and my high school’s securityRead MoreForen sic Science : A Forensic Scientist1546 Words   |  7 Pagesforensic scientist means that there is a high level of standard, considering that it will require a person to work with evidence and dead bodies. As for an academic point of view it would a necessity to have background knowledge in biology, chemistry or physics. The skills required of a forensic scientist are separated into three main components CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) skills, Laboratory skills and Communication skills. [10] Working on the field requires a methodical approach, strict protocol thatRead MoreThe Toulmin Model Of Argument 11533 Words   |  7 Pagesrelating to laws and policies that restrict the sale and use of firearms.) Claim of Definition: Laws governing the sale of firearms such as assault weapons and handguns do not constitute an infringement on our right to bear arms. (This speech/essay will focus on the Bill of Rights and its clause about the right to bear arms. It will argue for a particular definition that excludes the writing of laws that relate to ownership of firearms.) Claim of Cause: Tougher laws governing the sale of handgunsRead MoreThe Use Of Primitive Tasers On The United States Of America1279 Words   |  6 Pagesthan a stoppable force. The inventor of the first primitive TASER was Jack Cover. Jack was born on April sixth 1920 in New York. He later moved to Chicago with his family. He attended the University of Chicago where he earned a degree in nuclear physics. He became an Air Force test pilot in world war two and afterwards he worked at NASA as an aerospace engineer and worked on the Apollo missions. He died of pneumonia at the age of 88 on February 7th 2009. Also 1960s, the United States of America facedRead MoreThe Renaissance Essay758 Words   |  4 Pagesincluded the solution of cubic equations and the innovative astronomy of Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler. By the end of the 16th century, Galileo had taken the crucial step of applying mathematical models to the subject matter of physics. Geography was transformed by new empirical knowledge derived from explorations beyond Europe and from the first translations of the ancient works of Ptolemy and Strabo. In the field of technology, the invention of printing in the 15th century beganRead MoreForensic Ballistics3483 Words   |  14 PagesEnglishman convicted of murder based on the torn edge of a wad of newspaper in a pistol that matched a piece remaining in his pocket. Throughout the nineteenth century, many developments took place. Ballistics is the study of the functioning of firearms, the flight of the bullet and the effects of different types of ammunition. Ballistics in crime investigation was first formally established in 1923 when Charles Waite and Philip Garavell set up the Bureau of Forensic Ballistics (BFB). Later, Colonel