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Glite Dictionary
ballistic pendulum

ballistic pendulum

9.8
A heavy object hanging from a rod that measures a bullet's speed when hit
  • noun
  • /bəˈlɪstɪk ˈpɛndjʊləm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : péndulo balístico
  • The ballistic pendulum is crucial for measuring projectile speeds.

Examples

  • Before the invention of modern chronographs, the ballistic pendulum was an essential tool for measuring firearm performance.

  • The physics instructor demonstrated how a ballistic pendulum could be used to calculate bullet speed.

  • Researchers used a ballistic pendulum to determine the velocity of small projectiles in their experiment.

  • Have you ever seen a ballistic pendulum in action?

  • The scientist used a ballistic pendulum to accurately measure the speed of the projectile.

  • By observing the displacement on the scale, researchers can determine the velocity of a projectile with a ballistic pendulum.

  • In physics experiments, students often utilize a ballistic pendulum to demonstrate how the speed of objects can be measured.

Synonyms

gun pendulum
vsballistic pendulum
  • Archaic
9.9

A suspended gun that measures bullet speed from its backward swing when fired

measures speed by being struck and noting how far its mass moves

Surface Forms

ballistic pendulum singular
ballistic pendulums plural

Morphology

ballistic + pendulum

The phrase is compositionally built from 'ballistic' (relating to projectiles or ballistics) and 'pendulum' (a swinging weight), so a learner who knows both words will infer it is a type of pendulum used in ballistic contexts. However, the specific technical function—measuring projectile velocity by observing displacement after impact—is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, making the overall meaning only partially transparent.

Etymology

Ballistic pendulum combines ballistic (about bullets) and pendulum (a heavy weight that swings). A bullet hits the hanging weight and makes it swing, and by measuring how far the weight moves you can find the bullet's 'speed', so the device was used to 'measure' projectile velocity.