Quick Answer: The Ballistic Pendulum is a momentum and energy apparatus that finds the speed of a projectile from the swing of a pendulum it strikes. A launcher fires a ball into the pendulum, and the angle it rises to is read on an angle scale.
Last updated: October 2026
Key Features
Projectile launcher and projectile ball
Pendulum that catches the ball and swings upward
Angle scale and measuring scale for the height of the swing
Support frame keeping launcher and pendulum aligned
About This Product
In the collision the ball and pendulum move off together, so momentum is conserved while some kinetic energy is lost. As the pendulum rises, its remaining kinetic energy becomes potential energy, so the height or angle of the swing lets students work back to the speed of the ball. Several runs are compared for consistency. The Ballistic pendulum can be supplied on export terms to Lebanon, Vanuatu, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, United Kingdom and Zambia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the projectile speed found with the Ballistic Pendulum?
The maximum angle or height of the pendulum after impact is recorded, and conservation of momentum in the collision and conservation of energy in the swing are used to calculate the speed.
